Nin Chronicles: My Word
by Jaya Avendel
Summary: Elladan and Elrohir live normal lives by their father's standards, but both twins struggle to accept the way Elrond raises them, their hearts hurt and cut by the Great Lie. When a demon possesses Elrohir, according to Elrond, their lives change forever. Will their injured hearts ever know love, or will they fade from the cruelty Elrond views as fair? Third in the Nin Chronicles.
1. Drawings

**All unrecognizable names and the characters they mark belong to me. Everyone else belongs to Tolkien in name.**

* * *

"Put away your drawings and come to the table," Elrond said.

"In a minute," said Elladan, studying the paper before him with intensity.

"Elladan, dinner is ready and waiting for us. Come now," Elrond said from the doorway of the family living room.

Elladan applied his pencil to the paper. "Coming."

"Now!"

"All right, fine!" Elladan flung down his pencil. He followed his father across the open room and into the dining chamber. He jerked out a chair and slammed himself into it opposite his twin. Both he and his twin were lithe elflings, with silky dark hair and big eyes often lit by the light of mischievousness and enthusiasm. He folded his arms and brooded, frustration tightening his chest as he thought of the drawing he had been ripped away from, like a page from a book. It was not always he could draw life-like illustrations for such things required a certain mood. And to be torn out of the mood for something as ordinary as dinner was infuriating for he knew when he went back to the picture, he would not be able to reenter the moment of genius.

The table was out on the open terrace. White pillars supported the terrace's roof. Below them, the valley of Rivendell laid spread out. The wind blew gently as Elrond sat down at the head of the table.

"Behave yourself, Elladan," Elrond said, turning his attention to the food on the table. "You may return to your drawing after the meal."

"I do not see why I cannot draw!" Elladan cried in frustration. "I can always eat later! I was in the mood to draw and you ruined it all!"

"Now is the time for family," Elrond explained simply, taking a bite of salad.

"I do not care! I am not hungry and I do not want to eat! I come to dinner every night without complaint. Surely I can be excused this once!"

Elrond put down his fork. "No, you may not."

"Well, I am going, if only to weep in my room!" Elladan pushed his chair back and rose to his feet, glaring at his father.

Elrond looked down the table at his quiet wife and held her gaze. After a moment he pushed his chair back. "Come with me, Elladan." He took his son by the arm and led him into the living room.

Elladan's heart sank to the bottom of his bare feet and every ounce of courage left him. Father was about to punish him for his disobedience. Father hit hard and thought anything less then six of the best was a holiday . . . he swallowed.

Elrond let go of his arm and left him by the big armchair. Elladan considered fleeing the scene. His shoulders slumped and he knew he was stuck in the predicament. Running away only made the punishment worst when he was caught. His shoulders slumped further as he watched Elrond cross the room to the big bookcase set along the wall. He reached up and took down the dreaded instrument of punishment; the strap.

"I am sorry I yelled," Elladan began, not above begging to escape the punishment though he knew from experience it never worked.

"And you should be," Elrond said as he approached his son. "But you misbehaved and your mother and I will not tolerate insolence from our children. You need to learn to obey and respect us."

 _It is hard to do that when you beat us_ , Elladan thought, as the tightness in his chest returned.

"I am going to give you a little reminder of what happens when you do not obey us," Elrond said. "I love Elladan, and that will never change. I simply wish to see you grow up into a good elven being and for that you must be disciplined."

Elrond took a hold of Elladan's hair and raised the strap. His son bit his lip and closed his eyes as the leather hit him hard from behind. The fiery pain spread and the wave of memories of similar instances from the past flooded across him. He hated being punished and he tried out of fear not to get himself into situations like this but . . . fear and pain was a bad master.

When the last of ten blows had been struck, Elrond dropped his arms and went to put the strap back in its position. Elladan held back his tears and stilled the trembling of his hands before Elrond saw and reprimanded his weakness. As the half-elf turned away from the bookcase with empty hands, he smiled at Elladan as though the whipping had solved everything and erased his feelings.

"Come, ion nin," he said, "Dinner awaits us."

Elladan returned to the dinner table and sat down, clenching his teeth as the marks of the strap hit the wood of his seat and inflamed. He dared not voice the fury of confusion and anger within him for he knew it would invoke another punishment for speaking out of turn if he did. He sat in silence, looking up only to meet the eyes of Elrohir over the table. He gave a weak smile to settle the sadness he saw in his twin's eyes.

When the meal was over, Elladan left the table after asking to be excused and returning to the family living room. He picked up his drawing from the floor and looked at it, feeling tears prick his eyes. The sketch of Elrond was incomplete and the likeness was a good one but the beauty of it was lost and all he felt was hatred for the elf that was supposed to and said he loved him yet had just beat him.

Elladan swallowed and walked to the hearth grate. As he prepared to let the flames flickering there eat the work, Elrohir's hand on his arm stopped him. Elladan looked into his brother's eyes.

"Do not destroy it," Elrohir said. "It is a good picture. I . . . am sorry ada pulled you away from it and beat you."

Elladan looked down at the drawing. "I will never finish it. And I cannot look at it without remembering this . . . incident."

Elrohir looked over his shoulder to where Elrond and Celebrain stood outside the doorway, talking. He knew they did not like to have the punishments called 'beatings' and heavy scolding came down whenever the term slipped over tongues. But it was hard to remember the punishments as anything but that.

Elladan let the paper flutter into the grate and watched it ignite in the middle and burn into a small heap of ashes. He picked up his pencils and, holding them in a tight fist, made for the door leading out into the wide hall. Elrohir followed after him, and they took the stairs up to their room.

The twins shared a room. It was wide and square, with two twin beds in it covered in blue duvets. The carpet was blue with gold birds on it, stretching to the window and back over the marble floor. The window seat was a nice place to sit and look down at the great bridge arching over the river running through Rivendell, and admire the houses. Cool air blew through the open window, ruffling the curtains. There was a bookcase of books, a shelf covered in pads of paper, colored pencils, and folders, and a small table beside it.

Elladan sat down on the bed and flung down the pencils.

"I know your feelings are hurt," Elrohir said, flopping down on the bed behind him.

"It is easy to have your attitude when you have not been whipped!" Elladan said bitterly, folding his arms.

Elrohir sat up behind his twin and draped his arms around Elladan's neck. "But I am truly sorry for I know how it feels." He hugged him. "And if I could make ada stop I would. But neither of us can so we have to live with it, no matter how wrong it is or how it makes us feel."

Elladan sighed and reached up to pat Elrohir's hand. He grinned as his twin pulled him into a wrestling embrace and felt his anger diminish into a puff of smoke as he rolled with Elrohir on the bed, his neatly combed dark hair and clothes rumpling and tangling beneath him in the fierce battle.

* * *

 **I hope I have done well for this was a hard story to write for me; one of the biggest challenges. I am open to opinions and reactions from any of you who wish to leave them or make them known.**


	2. Vacation

Harune hummed a tune as he smoothed the piles of snowy linens over the shelf of the cupboard. He looked up from his work as he heard a shriek and a crash from down the hall and dropped his arms with a small sigh.

His son, Landion, charged down the hall, his green robe and black hair flying behind him and, as he tore past, he pointed behind him and yelled, "Legolas did it!"

Legolas ran after him, yelling, "I did not! You pushed me!"

Harune let his eyes follow after the elflings before he pushed the closet door close and went to inspect the reason for the loud crash, collecting a broom on his way. The small table lay overturned with its chief ornament, an enameled vase, shattered to pieces across the floor.

Harune stared at the wreckage for a long moment before he added it to the list of damaged property, wondered why elflings were so terribly inclined to break things, and cleared away the mess.

And later that day . . .

Thranduil stared over the top of his desk at Legolas and Landion, cringing in the throes of about-to-be delivered justice. He looked at the list stretching over the top of his desk and pooling in folds on the floor and folded his hands before him, keeping an impassive and thoroughly evil gaze on the two offenders.

"This list," he said. "Is amazingly and shockingly long. It is a list of things you have both broken in the last two weeks."

Legolas and Landion exchanged wide-eyed glances.

Thranduil rose out of his chair. "Now, I wonder how all these things could be breaking if you two were engaging in your rough play outside, as I told you to seventeen days ago."

"Perhaps it was the guards?" Legolas suggested, with a wide grin. His smile faded as Thranduil frowned at him and realized his humor was not appreciated.

"We forgot," Landion said, his shoulders slumping. "About having to play outside, that is."

"It is easy to forget," Thranduil agreed.

Landion looked up hopefully. "So we are forgiven?"

"That depends," Thranduil said, fingering the list in his hands. "Since you cannot seem to remember not to play outside where all you can break are sticks and bones, you will have to stay apart for a while. Landion, your father will undoubtedly have plenty of chores he needs done. Legolas, my office needs cleaning!"

"Oh, but, ada, I can help Harune to," Legolas began.

Thranduil escorted Landion to the door of his office and shut it. "I am afraid the point of this punishment is to keep you apart in order to put a halt to the wreckage you have both ensued for long enough. To work."

"Yes, sir, your majesty, sir," Legolas grumbled, and went to retrieve some dusters.

Thranduil collected some essential files from his desk and left the room to leave Legolas to his work. as he stepped out of the door, he added, "You will not be able to finish in one day; clean for an hour and come out. But you are not allowed to see Landion!"

"But if I only do an hour a day, it will take me days to finish!" Legolas said, looking around in dismay. "Each bookcase takes forever to clean! It will take me weeks!"

"Seventeen days, exactly," Thranduil agreed. "Precisely the amount of time you and Landion disobeyed Harune and I's wishes."

"You cannot stop me from seeing Landion when I am done!" Legolas declared.

"I can lock you in your room!" Thranduil replied, and slammed the door.

Legolas frowned at the piece of wood. He knew it would not be as bad as the tone of Thranduil's threat made it out but the time for arguing was over. He dragged himself and a chair toward the first of the big bookcases lining three of the walls. Climbing up onto the chair, he emptied the top row of its books and sat down on the floor to dust each one off.

He had finished half of the first bookcase when the door opened and Thranduil came in. "It has been an hour; you may go."

Legolas slid the last book into place and slumped out of the office, wondering where Harune was keeping Landion. After a moment, he draped his duster over the top of the stair railing and skipped away to find another one of his friends down at the archery fields. Ada had not said anything about not seeing _them_!

* * *

Thranduil stretched his feet out to the warm blaze of the fire and sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"I do not know what I will do with them!" he said, taking in a long sip of wine.

"It is unlikely they will survive alone for seventeen days," Harune answered.

"I doubt they will wither up and die. It is a misfortune we both live in the same palace. Most unfortunate indeed," Thranduil lamented.

Harune refilled his wine cup from the bottle. "If nothing else, seventeen days without a wrestle or broken cup will, at least, perk up their memories."

Thranduil sighed again. Then he grinned. "Quite. And, if we are forced to invoke desperate measures, there are always the dungeons!"

"It worked on you," Harune said, closing his eyes.

"I could use a vacation," Thranduil said, slumping in his seat.


	3. Wasted Love

Elrohir paused, his hand shoving Elladan back, his hair yanked to a painful angle by his twin, and looked at the sun. It was sinking down below the rim of the valley high above, the last rays sending out golden light.

"We should go home," he said.

Elladan let go of his hair and broke free of the wrestling embrace. He looked down at his house below, at the bottom of the sloping hill.

"Yes, he said. "What were we fighting about anyway?"

"You took my red pencil," Elrohir answered.

"If I have got it, I have no idea where it is now," Elladan admitted.

"You owe me one red pencil out of your set then," Elrohir said. "Race you home!"

"No fair! You had a head start!" Elladan shrieked as he raced after his fleeing twin.

Laughing and grinning, out of breath and ruffled by wind and fighting, the twins arrived home as the last ray of sun disappeared and the world plunged into gloom. Catching their breath, they stumbled across the marble floor and made for the living room.

Elrond looked up from his chair as his sons tumbled into the room, gasping and grinning.

"I suppose I won," Elrohir said. He grinned at his father. "Is dinner ready yet?"

"Dinner," said Elrond, putting down his book, "Was over an hour ago. Your mother has gone to bed as she is feeling unusually tired, and I stayed up to wait for you. Where have you been?"

"We were out on the hills," Elladan said. "We were playing. And we forgot about the . . . ah . . . time."

"And dinner," Elrohir mumbled. "Sorry."

"It is easy to forget," Elrond agreed. "That is why I am going to give you some motivation to remember."

Elladan let out a long breath and his shoulders slumped. The playful and spirited fight on the hills seemed a long way away now. As did the sun. He saw Elrohir shift before him as Elrond crossed to the bookcase, the bearer of the awful instrument of punishment. Its purity as a bearer of knowledge was lost with the stain of the strap Elrond now took down.

"You first, Elladan," he said. "Come here."

"I-I will take my punishment first," Elrohir said, stepping forward, thinking of the whipping Elladan had received for his behavior at the dinner table a few nights ago.

"I did _not_ call you," Elrond replied, his voice cool but with enough venom in it to send Elrohir right back to his previous position.

Elladan slumped forward until he was standing in front of his father. It was worst when one of the twins had to watch the other suffer. He clenched his hands at his side.

"I am glad you were enjoying yourself," Elrond said. "But dinner time is an important part of the family schedule. You both disrupted it by not respecting the rules and coming home in time. I cannot allow that. This will help you remember next time."

Elrohir turned his face away as he heard the horrible swish of the strap and the impact of it hitting Elladan. A few tears pricked his eyes and the twenty seconds seemed to drag on forever. He looked up as Elrond called his name and went to take his punishment without voicing the fury within him.

"You may both go up to your rooms," Elrond said, lowering the strap. "I will have dinner delivered to you there."

"Yes, ada," Elrohir said. He took Elladan's hand, feeling a tremor run through his twin and into him, and retreated as Elrond put the strap away.

"I hate this!" Elladan cried in the confines of their room. "I hate him! I hate this! I want to fight back; I want to tell him how unfair this is! It is wrong and cruel and it hurts! I hate seeing the marks on your body! You hate seeing them on mine!"

Elrohir watched Elladan pace the floor, his hands fists in front of him.

"I wish I could rip out his hair and take the strap to him!" Elladan concluded bitterly, and sat down hard on the floor.

"We are too small," Elrohir said. "And by the time we are big enough to tell him what we think, he would have stopped beating us."

"Life is a nightmare!" Elladan said. "I wish I had been born into another family! A family that did not believe in this!"

"Like Wan," Elrohir agreed.

Elladan sighed as he thought of their friend. "Yes . . . his punishments are not violent and they do not involve people who are supposed to love you hitting you."

The twins fell into silence as the door opened and a servant delivered two trays to the small table before he departed. Elrohir sat down to eat with his brother.

"The older we grow, the worst ada is," Elladan said gloomily, poking at his food. "When we were little, he turned us over his knee and spanked us. Now he whips us!"

Elrohir stared at his plate, the memories making his appetite flee. "And when we cried because it hurt, he told us to grow up."

Elladan took his plate to the window and scraped the food out to the mercy of the long fall below. He took Elrohir's plate and completed the action, not ready to stand the bombardment of questions Elrond would demand answers to if their plates were found untouched. They could not exactly say, "We lost our appetite thinking of your beastly cruelty!"

Elrohir reached for his nightshirt.

"I could use a break from home," he said. "Anywhere where we can escape ada."

Elladan leaned his arms on the windowsill. "Me to. But we are stuck here for a long time yet. You know what will happen if we run away."

"Do you love him?" Elrohir asked.

Elladan looked over his shoulder. "Yes, I do. I love ada with all my heart even though he hits us."

"He is all we have," Elrohir agreed. "He looks after us; we have to love him."

"I try to forget the beatings," Elladan said sleepily, "Thinking about them is confusing. He says he loves us but how can it be true?"


	4. Fleeing Love

Elladan lay on his stomach, his hands folding beneath his chin, his eyes on the chessboard in front of him. Elrohir leaned over his shoulder, watching the outcome of the game.

"For a game invented by humans, it is a good way to develop intellect," Elrond said, moving his piece.

"But you always win," Elladan said.

"Life is not all about winning and losing," Elrond replied. "Your move."

Elladan moved his piece. "I cannot be developing much intellect if you always win, can I?"

Elrond cast a suspicious look at his son. "I think you have played too much chess in the past few days. We will finish up here and take a walk in the hills behind the house. The fresh air will be welcome."

"How is Erestor doing?" Elladan asked.

"He is working," Elrond replied. "Doing his job. A place like Rivendell rolls in paperwork in need of completion."

"Is it the same way in Lothlorien?" Elrohir asked. "It has been a while since we visited . . ."

"You made yourselves thoroughly unwelcome with your unruly behavior," Elrond answered. "Teasing the guards caused havoc."

Elrohir winced. It was amazing how far back Elrond's memory would go when it came to their mischievous pranks.

"We can never go back again?" Elladan asked, as Elrond made the closing move of the game and stood up.

"We will return to the Golden Wood when the time is right," Elrond replied as Elladan knelt to put away the chess pieces and board. "But, to answer your question, there is plenty of paperwork in Lothlorien to. I am fortunate enough to have an adept secretary."

"But Erestor does look so tired sometimes," Elrohir said. "Perhaps he needs a break."

"Fetch your cloaks and we will go for our walk," Elrond said. "We all need breaks in life."

Elrohir sighed and made for the door. "Yes, ada. Stay here, Elladan, I will fetch yours to."

As Elladan put the chessboard in its place, Elrohir came back into the room, pinning on the dark material of his cloak. He handed his brother's garment to him and waited for him to put it on.

Elrond led the way out into the hallway and made for the back door. The fresh air was cool in the evening light and the unpopulated hills beyond the elven lord's house made a peaceful refuge, where most of the herbs for the healing potions and pastes were foraged.

Elladan and Elrohir ran ahead of their father, the wind blowing up under the folds of their cloaks. At the crest of the first high rise, they stopped and waited for their father.

As the first trees started to grow on the hills, Elrond sat down in the last rays of sunshine and patted the ground beside him. The twins sat down on either side and leaned against him for a tight hug.

The sky turned red and pink, with purple streaks running across it. The moment was perfect.

"Ada," said Elrohir, snuggling closer against his father. The quiet peace of the moment emboldened him, and brought to light the plain frustration within him usually shoved far below. "Why do you have to hit us when we do something you decide is not right? Is there not another way you could chose to—to discipline us?"

Elrond looked down at his son. "Elrohir, you fully deserve the punishments you get. If you wish to stop receiving them, behave. The only way to teach you to obey is to invoke consequences sever enough to make you stop and think twice."

Elrohir winced. "But it does not do that. It makes me afraid . . . of you, and I cannot cope with fearing you and loving you at the same time. It does not make any sense!"

"There is no need to fear retribution when it is done through love," Elrond said, patting Elrohir on the back and feeling the silky tresses of his son's hair.

Elrohir felt tears welling up in his eyes. "But that is the trouble! I do not see how you can claim to love us and still hit us with a horrible piece of stinging leather and still believe the lie!"

"It is no lie," Elrond said, his voice growing tense. "It is the truth."

"It is a lie!" Elrohir snapped. He tore himself away from Elrond and fled into the dark shadows under the trees. "And I hate you for it!"

Elrond leapt his feet, his eyes blazing. "Elrohir! Come back!"

But his son was gone and Elladan stood staring after him with an uncomfortable expression, his eyes wide with a mixture of horror, fear, and apprehension.

* * *

 **Earthdragon:** Thank you for your comments. I appreciated them and found the insights thought-provoking. I am glad the emotion of the story came across in my words, and that it touched you. I hope you continue to read and enjoy the story; I have much more planned for it. I update every three days on a mostly regular schedule.

 **To everyone who has read this:** Thanks for reading!


	5. Possessed!

"Quickly, we must assemble a search party!" Elrond said, taking Elladan by the hand and dragging him down the hill in his hurry. "The woods are dangerous and he may be hurt, especially in the night."

"Then we should go now and find him instead of wasting time assembling a search party!" Elladan insisted, the thought of his beloved brother coming to the dreaded harm awakening terror in his racing heart.

Elrond hesitated, considering the point. He released Elladan's hand and shoved him toward the yellow lights of their house below. "Go find your mother and tell her what has befallen us. She will know what to do. I will search for Elrohir now."

"But—"

"Go!" Elrond ordered in a tone that threatened dire consequences if disobeyed. Elladan turned and fled homeward.

Elrond stood and watched to assure himself Elladan's shadow would not come slipping after him before he turned, pulling his cloak tighter to him in the cool air, and made for the trees.

The forest was quiet and dark as he picked his way through the brush, following the dim lines of paths worn into the dirt through the moss. Elrond looked up at the silver streaks of moonlight running across the sky, visible through the branches and leaves.

"Elrohir!" he called. "Elrohir!"

He strained his ears for the sound of running feet, cries, or brush snapping in the wake of fleeing but he heard nothing besides the chirping on night crickets and the low howls of the wolves living high up in the hills. He shivered at the thought of his son assaulted by teeth and claws.

"Elrohir! Come out! Show yourself! It is me, ion nin, ada!"

" . . . Show yourself . . . it is me . . . ada . . ."

Not far away, huddled under the overhang of a rock protruding off a hill, Elrohir shivered and wrapped his arms tighter around himself. He was cold and stiff and uncomfortable and the dried tears on his face pricked his skin but he dared not come out.

He heard the sound of leaves brushing against fabric, and the footsteps of Elrond as he neared. The elfling shrank back as he saw a shadow emerge from the trees to his left, praying the cavity in the hill would conceal him. He did not want to go home to _that_ horrible and unfair life. He hated it and every day in it tore away another part of his delicate soul. He refused to adapt to it. He wanted something different . . . something that would prove ada loved him despite all else. And Elrond's current methods were a lie shoved in his face!

"Elrohir! I know you cannot have run far! Come out or you will be sorry when I find you!"

Elrohir peeked up over his arm at the figure of his father, his robes whirling around him like evil tendrils of demons sneaking out of his soul, and shivered. He was not sorry and he did not want to be.

"Elrohir! Please!" Elrond's voice sounded more desperate now. "I do not wish for you to be hurt. I love you!"

Elrohir's hands curled into fists unbidden and his lips curled back into a snarl. He sprang from his hiding place and pointed an accusing finger at Elrond. "You are valar born liar! You do not love me!"

Elrond spun around and bounded across the ground toward Elrohir, holding out his arms. "Thank the valar; I feared for your life."

"I cannot believe you see that as the truth!" Elrohir cried. "Maybe you really believe the great lie but it is plain for me to see through the fabrication while you remain blind! How can you be so cruel and so utterly stupid?"

Elrohir turned and ran, his heart hammering against his ribs, hot tears blinding his vision. He looked over his shoulder, horrified to see Elrond was catching up. His feet stumbled and he fell, his head impacting with something hard. He let out a low moan as he heard Elrond yell, and slumped forward into blackness.

* * *

Elrohir groaned and opened his eyes, the ceiling swimming. He blinked until he could focus and saw Elladan looking down at him.

"Are you all right?" Elladan asked, his face ashen. Elrohir felt a hard grip on his hand and knew it was his brother's worried squeezing.

"Yes," Elrohir croaked. "I-I am in the healing wing . . . father got me."

Elladan sighed and gave a small nod, looking down into Elrohir's pain-clouded eyes. "You tripped and hit a tree."

Elrohir reached up a hand a felt the lump on his forehead with a slight wince. His head pounded, threatening to escape its shell.

"Is—is ada mad?" Elrohir asked finally.

"No," said Elladan. "But he is worried."

"He did no understand why I ran away from him," Elrohir said miserably. "He believes what he does is right and he . . . is too much in the center of the web to see anything but what he has immersed himself in. I wish I was dead!"

Elladan brushed a finger across the tear trickling down Elrohir's cheek. "Running away only made it worst . . ."

A flash of fear streaked through Elrohir's eyes. "W-what do you m-mean? He-he did not blame you, did he? He-he did not beat you, did he?"

Elladan shook his head.

"Then what is it?"

"Ada and naneth talked long into the night about your behavior," Elladan said, looking away. "They said it—it is not acceptable nor excusable but punishing you does not solve the problem."

"It never does!" Elrohir snarled.

"They think you are possessed with evil spirits," Elladan said in a faint voice. "They called me and asked me if I thought Elrond's methods of discipline were wrong. I-I did not want to undergo what you have to so I lied and took their side . . . they have arranged for you to undergo an exorcism."

Elrohir's eyes opened wide. "No, Elladan! No . . ." His voice trickled off into a sob. "No! It is not true! This is who I am and it is ada's fault I am like this; he should not hit me like he does! No!" His vice rose to an hysterical scream.

The door flew open and Elrond came in. He took Elladan by the arm and dragged him out of the room, hissing, "What have you been telling him? I told you to keep him calm!"

"I am sorry," Elladan said meekly.

Elrond frowned at him. "If you let it happen again, I will have your hide! Now, leave. Elrohir needs his rest. The demons have drained most of his strength."

Elladan glanced over his shoulder at his screaming brother in the small, dark healing chamber before he slumped away down the hall, feeling like he stabbed his twin in the back for lying to his parents about the deepest truth and abandoning him to the terrible fate lying ahead that he would have to face alone.

* * *

 **Tell me what you think! We have reached a major plot twist!  
**


	6. Under The Full Moon

Elrond dashed to the side of his son and pressed his hands against Elrohir's shoulders, pressing him back against the pillows. Elrohir wept, tears running down his frightened face. Elrond gathered the shaking elfling to his chest and rubbed his back.

"Shh, ion nin," he murmured. "I know the demons inside you pain you but they will soon be gone."

"There are no demons!" Elrohir screamed. "There is only me! I hate you!"

Elrond sighed and hugged his struggling son. Elrohir fought against him, hissing and spitting with every ounce of strength he possessed. He snarled and wrenched at Elrond's robes, trying to pull away but he was held tight until his muscle failed him and he lay still and cried.

Elrond settled Elrohir's flopping body back against the pillows as his son fell asleep in the embrace of grief and tucked the blankets down around him. He sat on the bed with his shoulders slumped and only looked up as he felt an intense gaze coming from the doorway.

One of the more powerful of the healers of Rivendell stepped into the room with his face a tight mask of concern. He was dressed in a green robe, with a shorter, darker cloth over top of the skirt. His brown hair was tied up into a ragged ponytail, and his green eyes, usually full of healing energy were dull.

"I have spoken to Kaiale," Zai said, with a small bow. "He will be ready to perform the exorcism on the morrow, the rise of the full moon."

Elrond reached out to tuck a strand of hair behind Elrohir's ear and nodded.  
"Thank you, Zai. I will be most relieved when the demons have left my son's fragile spirit."

Zai hesitated, his eyebrows furrowing with sympathy as he looked at the shaken elfling lying asleep in the bed. "I . . . am not sure exorcism is the answer, my lord. Perhaps there are no demons. He may be in this condition because of you."

Elrond's shoulders straightened. He rose from the bed and came toward the healer. He met Zai's gaze with smoldering eyes. "Do you dare suggest I am treating my son badly, without his best interests in mind? For if that is so, I assure you it is the opposite of the tyranny you put to words! If you question me again, lowly healer, you will suffer the consequences of speaking out of turn with your lord! Are we clear?"

"Perfectly, my lord," Zai said, this time bowing low.

"You are dismissed!" Elrond said, pointing to the door.

Zai retreated and, only in the hall, did he allow his expressions to show in the wideness of his eyes and the frozen mask of his face.

* * *

Elrohir blinked and saw his mother sitting beside him. He sat up, untangling the blankets.

"Sleep well?" Celebrian asked, taking his hands in hers.

Elrohir shook his head. "No. I keep thinking about the exorcism."

"Life will be easier and better for you after the demon is gone," Celebrian assured him.

"There is no demon," Elrohir said with tears in his eyes. "There is only me, naneth. Ada has done this to me. I cannot live with him beating me like he does! Make him stop!"

Celebrian's cool hand touched his cheek. "Elrohir, your father does not beat you. When he punishes you, it is done out of out love for you so that you will grow into a good, strong person."

"It hurts," Elrohir cried.

"But the pain fades," Celebrian said. "You are tired, Elrohir, and the demon inside you clouds your mind. Elrond does not like to have you punish you, Elrohir, for we both love you and your twin deeply, but sometimes it has to be done for your own good. My parents raised me in a similar manner and I do not hate them for it. I love them all the more."

"You filthy liar!" Elrohir spat. "You do not speak of it or remember the pain for you do not _want_ to hate them. If you were only a child again living through being _spanked_ you would feel the ache I feel now in my heart! I hate your parents! I have stayed with them before, and they are like you and ada! I hate them! I hate you! I hate ada!"

"Oh, Elrohir," Celebrian said in distress. She leaned forward to press him back against the pillows. "You will feel different with the taint of the demon gone. Sleep now, my little one."

* * *

Elrohir stared wide-eyed at Kaiale, his face pale, his fingers clutching Elladan's hand. He did not blame Elladan for not joining him though he knew he would not lied. He knew how he felt about the way his parents treated him and he knew there were no demons. It broke his heart Elrond would not believe him or trust him.

Kaiale swept toward the elfling with open arms. "Do not fear, Elrohir, the demons haunting your pure spirit will soon be gone, banished by the purity of the ever-loving valar."

Elrohir drew his lips back and hissed. He stood out on an open ledge, the rays of moonlight lancing down on the circle of stone on the floor, engraved with runes. Eight bands of metal were embedded in the stone in the center of the circle, with straps of leather threaded through them.

The thought of being tied down terrified Elrohir. As Kaiale reached for him, Elrohir shrieked and clung to his twin but Elrond grabbed him and ripped him away.

"The demons sense their doom," Kaiale said with satisfaction.

"No!" Elrohir sobbed. "No!"

Between the combined efforts of Kaiale and Elrond, both elves wrestled the panicking Elrohir to the floor and tied the leather straps over his arms and legs to pin him to the ground. Elladan turned away at the sight of his struggling twin and Celebrain stood with her hand over her mouth.

Kaiale thrust out an arm and ordered Elrond, "Stand back! Do not enter the circle while I call upon the powers of the valar."

Elrond came to stand beside his wife, taking her in an embrace as Celebrian buried her face in his chest. "Oh, Elrond, he looks so hurt and alone."

"We will have our son back as soon as the demons are gone," Elrond said. "Be brave, my love."

Kaiale raised his arms to the sky, the cool breeze brushing his face as he stood over Elrohir. "Merciful valar, demons have taken over the shell of an innocent elfling. The demons have twisted his mind and tortured his soul, turning him against those he loves. This elfling has committed no earthly sin and done his duty only to be captured in the cruel and unjust fist of demons! Banish the evil and return to him his purified soul!"

Elrohir squeezed his eyes shut as the sounds of Kaiale's voice mashed together into one droning blur. The sound assaulted his ears and penetrated his skull, inflaming his headache. Tears leaked out from under his lashes. He could not believe Elrond had allowed him to be chained down like a victim on a sacrificial alter and screamed at by someone he did not even know! His heart ached.

"Be gone with you, evil demon! We banish you from the earthly tethers of this innocent being!" Kaiale screamed. Elrohir cracked his eyes open to find the elf's finger pointed down at his chest, his face a twisted visage of anger. He shuddered. Kaiale walked in circles around him, like an animal about to capture it's pray, screaming like a madman as though the sound of his ugly voice would somehow frighten the demon out of him. Hah. As if. As if there even was a demon.

Kaiale stopped and leaned his hands on his knees, panting as though he found the trials of the ritual exhausting. Elrohir opened his eyes and looked up at the moon, hoping the beautiful orb would calm the stoked fury within him.

"The demon is gone," Kaiale said, leaning over him. Elrohir recoiled as the elf breathed foul smelling breath onto his face. "See how clear his eyes are."

Elrohir felt his face contorting into a snarl and quickly looked up at the moon. He felt the straps holding him down slip free and sat up as Celebrian and Elrond rushed forward to grab him into a tight hug. He accepted the embrace in silence but reached for his twin with a smile tinged by sadness and clung to him.

"We cannot thank you enough for what you have done for our son," Elrond said to Kaiale. "We will be forever grateful."

Kaiale smiled. "My lord, the services of the valar are yours through me. He will rest, your son, to recover his strength after the damage the demon has done him."

"And it is rest he will have," Elrond said. "I thank you again."

Kaiale stood and watched the royal family depart, fingering the weight and cold smoothness of the coins Elrond had given him. After a while he looked up at the moon.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Thank you for your kind comments. Your thought on Galadriel doing the exorcism was thought provoking, and inspired me to include her at a later point in the story! Thanks for reading.**


	7. Unwanted Bed Rest

Elrohir picked at the threads of the blanket, focusing on his hands. They looked small and thin and slender. His combed hair fell over his shoulder and brushed his cheeks, the long strands lying on the green of his robed shoulders. He cocked his head to the side and stared at his hands a little longer.

"How are you feeling, Elrohir?"

Elrohir looked up as his mother came across the brightness of the room, her feet light on the carpet, holding a tray of food. She smiled at him, beautiful and radiant in her blue dress, but Elrohir looked away.

"Elrohir?"

"The same as yesterday, naneth," Elrohir said. _And the day before that. And the day before that. And the one before that, and that, and that, and that . . ._

Celebrian sighed and set down the tray on her knees as she sat down on the bed. "You do not seem to be recovering much, my little ion."

"I am trying," Elrohir said quietly. _But it is hard to want to live with people who believe in hurting you to discipline you and use love as their pitiful excuse._

"I know you are, Elrohir. Here, eat."

Elrohir ate the food in silence, smiling a small thank you to his mother. He new she loved him but, the trouble was, he could not feel it. And he loved her back but he would not leave bed until he had to. He was safe from the strap in bed . . . he wondered how Elladan was.

"Elladan misses you," Celebrian said. "It is not the same for him to go out on his walks and things alone."

"I miss our time together to," Elrohir said. "I miss our wrestles and games . . ."

"He does to," Celebrain said. She rose to her feet with the empty tray and gave a little wave to her son as she left the room.

Elrohir sighed as soon as she was gone. He was itching to get up. He had recovered from the emotionally wracking experiences of his trial and, though his views were the same, he saw that he had no choice but to hide his true feelings from his parents or suffer the same nightmare again. It was cowardly but he could not take another experience of Kaiale shrieking at him.

The door opened and Elladan bounced in. He jumped onto the bed and sat facing Elrohir.

"Will you leave bed soon?" Elladan asked. He leaned forward. "Are you okay?"

"I feel much better," Elrohir said. "And I want to get up."

"Come on," Elladan invited. "We can climb up onto the cliffs and play warrior like we used to! It has been too long since we ran and played, Elrohir, and I miss you! I need you to feel complete! My life is not the same with you shut up in here. Ada said you could leave bed a few days ago!"

Elrohir looked up at his twin and smiled. He missed his old life and he realized he could not stay in bed forever. He tossed back the blankets and reached for Elladan's hand. "Come, I changed in the morning. I think I could sense I would leave bed today. Let us go up to the cliffs and play warrior. I missed it, especially because I always win. Besides, I need you to."

"Yes!" Elladan cheered, punching his fists in the air. He and Elrohir ran out of the room, matching their paces, running at the same speed.

* * *

"We are relieved and happy to see you well again," Celebrain said, leaning over to pat Elrohir's hand as they sat down to dinner.

Elrohir smiled. "Yes, I . . . was happy to leave bed. Me and Elladan had a wonderful time together."

"It is good to see your smile and the color in your cheeks back," Elrond remarked. "It makes you look more like your twin!"

Elrohir grinned. "I have heard happiness is good for the skin!"

"And for relieving the pressure on the hearts of those who love you most," Celebrain said.

To this Elrohir made no reply. He picked up his fork and began to eat.

"How was your day?" Celebrian asked, looking across the table at her husband. "You were in the office with Erestor all morning, and you returned after lunch."

"There were some essential points to be settled as to the wording of some documents," Elrond replied. "Very tiring. I wish Erestor could handle these things on his own. What else am I paying him for?"

"I am sure he had your best interests in mind," Celebrian said gently.

Elrond shrugged. "Yes, he probably did."

The twins exchanged glances from across the table.

"You will go back to sleeping in your own room, Elrohir," Elrond said.

"I will be happy to be with Elladan again," Elrohir agreed. "It was lonely in the healing room and I missed all the familiar feels."

"I missed you to," Elladan added. "It was not the same not hearing your breathing at night!"

"Have you done any drawing?" Elrohir asked. "I have not been able to get my drawing pad or my pencils for a while."

"I could not draw without you looking over my shoulder and passing cutting remarks," Elladan answered with a cheeky grin. "I never thought I would miss it."

"We will go out to the cliffs and draw tomorrow," Elrohir said. "I saw a fantastic tree from my window while I was lying in bed. The trunk looks fabulously twisted."

"Be careful," Celebrian warned.

"We will," Elladan assured her. "We have been up there before many times, and I know just the tree he means."

Elrond downed his glass of water and thought with satisfaction that it was nice to have his family back on track again.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Thanks for reading! I like that Thranduil has no ring; it opens doors to new powers he might have. As for the exorcism . . . it never does leave Elrohir the same.  
**


	8. A Letter Opener

"Elladan! Elrohir!"

Elladan cringed as he heard his father calling. He looked over at his twin from the pages of his drawing pad, from where he was studying with great intensity the drawing of the tree. He and Elrohir were back from the cliffs, after accomplishing the task of putting the tree on paper, and playing a rowdy game of warrior. But . . .

Elladan was not sure Elrohir could take what was probably coming after the staring events of the day. Elrohir kept his eyes on his paper and said nothing but Elladan could feel the clashing emotions rolling off him. He hoped Elrohir did not dissolve into another fit of screaming; he knew another exorcism would be the end of the beloved twin he knew.

The door to their room flew open and Elrond walked in. Elrohir and Elladan both looked up.

"I see you are back from the cliffs," Elrond said, looking at the sketch before Elrohir. "Have either of you seen my letter opener? The one forged into the shape of a dagger?"

Neither twin answered. But Elrond saw the expression on Elrohir face and immediately knew he was responsible for the disappearance of the letter opener.

"Elrohir, where is it? Answer me now!"

Elrohir gulped. "I-I dropped it off the cliff. We were playing warrior with it and it—it was knocked out of my hand. I am sorry."

Elrond frowned. "That was a prized piece of work, a gift on my wedding day and you had the nerve—come with me."

Elrohir's shoulders slumped. He scrambled to his feet with a grieved look over his shoulder at his twin. Elladan jumped to his feet. "I was the one who bumped into him, ada. It is my fault the letter opener was lost. Punish me instead."

"Were you the one who took the letter opener without asking me?" Elrond asked.

"Yes," Elladan said, looking at the floor as he spoke the lie.

Elrond let go of Elrohir's arm. "Then come with me."

Elrohir's legs gave out under him as soon as the door closed and he fell to the floor. Burying his face in his hands, he cried, knowing what was about to happen to Elladan and hating it.

Elrond guided his son to the living room and left him in the center of the floor to fetch the strap. Elladan stood in silence. He was not going to beg. He thought of Elrohir, unharmed in his room, and the relief he felt was worth the pain about to come.

"Do you know why you are being punished?" Elrond asked.

"Because I lost your prized possession," Elladan answered, unable to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.

"Watch your tone!" Elrond warned. "You are being punished, Elladan, because you took something without asking and you lost it. You _stole_ my letter opener. And I do not want you, my beloved son, to turn into a thief and a liar."

Elladan swallowed, the calm tone of Elrond's words stripping away his bravado. The calm words uttered in the face of punishment carried more weight then angry yelling or threats.

"It will not happen again," he promised. "We did not mean to drop it! It was an accident."

Elladan winced as the strap hit him with full force. It felt heavier then any blow he had ever received. His twisted in Elrond's grip but the hold on his hair was tight and the wicked leather found a way to evade his struggles. He did not try to break free and run, knowing the punishment for _that_ would be worst then this.

"You stole from me," Elrond said. "Stealing is a very bad thing, Elladan, and I will not let it become a habit."

"I-I did not—"

"Yes, you did." The strap hit him again. And again, each time with more force. Elrond struck where he knew the pain would last. The lashes would make it impossible to sit without discomfort, impossible to walk without feeling the bruises. At least for a short while.

"Stop, ada! Please stop!" Elrohir screamed. "I promise never to disobey you or steal again if only you will stop! Please!"

Elrond hit him one last time before he released Elladan's hair. His son stumbled away with a slight hiss.

"I love you, Elladan," Elrond said, coming to hug the boy. "And I want only for you to be a good, honest person." He kissed the top of his head.

Elladan wept. He knew how Elrohir felt and understood exactly what he had said about the great lie. He could not feel the love even if Elrond was giving it.

In bed at night, sore and frightened, Elladan snuggled close to his twin, tears leaking from his eyes.

"I tried to tell him," he whispered. "I tried to tell him about what happened on the cliff. We tripped, and you had to let go of the letter opener or we would have both fallen to our deaths. I did try to explain to him how we lost it but—but he kept hitting me!"

Elrohir turned to hug Elladan to him, feeling deep sympathy for his twin.

"Thank you for taking the beating for me," he whispered. "It was brave and kind of you to face the fury of the strap."

Elladan nodded and reached up to pat Elrohir's cheek. "You are welcome. It was worth it in the end to not see you hurting like I am now."

As the twins slept, Elrond and Celebrian sat up in the living room.

"He will not steal again," Elrond said, with a heavy sigh. "But I do miss the letter opener . . ."

"I was thinking," Celebrian said, counting stitches on her embroidery. "I think the twins need some new company to take their minds off old matters. What if we invite some people to stay?"

Elrond groaned. "I mean no harm, my love, but I cannot take another visit from your parents. Galadriel and Celeborn would have been the end of me the last time they came. They do not have enough energy."

Celebrian looked up with a smile. "I know, dear. Our sons are tired of them to. But . . . we have not seen Thranduil in many years, and the twins have never met him. I know he is full of energy; the word was made to describe him. And he has a son only a few years older then Elladan and Elrohir."

Elrond looked doubtful. "Mirkwood is a ways away. I do not know if he will come. But I will write him a letter and ask him to come stay for a month or two. I would welcome the change, and I am sure the twins would welcome a new friend."

"We will not say anything to the twins until we know he is coming," Celebrian said. "I would hate to get their hopes up only to disappoint them. And if Thranduil does come, it will be a nice surprise for them both. Besides, it is time we renewed relationships with Mirkwood."

* * *

 **And what will the grand monarch of Mirkwood have to say? Will he _even_ come?  
**


	9. Rivendell

"A letter from Rivendell, my lord, directly from carrier hawk, sent red ribbon."

Thranduil looked up from his work as the servant offered the silver tray to him, wondering what would warrant an urgent message. He took the scroll, nodded his thanks, and slid the red ribbon from around the rolled paper. He leaned back in his chair as he opened it.

 _Dear Thranduil,_

 _It has been too long since we exchanged a social visit; our agendas have been full. We both know how much work it takes to run a kingdom and a family!_

 _My family and I would enjoy a visit from you are your son, Legolas, who is around the age of my twins, Elladan and Elrohir. It would be a wonderful and refreshing vacation for both of us._

 _I look forward to your reply, if any. Should I receive nothing, I will assume you are on your way here. You are invited to stay for us for up to three months._

 _Elrond, Rivendell, lord of._

Thranduil tossed the scroll onto his desk, wondering at who had written the letter. It was either a person not used to office work or a very tired elf. But, that aside, the invitation was clear and he had said not too long back that he needed a vacation . . . and Legolas could use some new playmates, probably as wild as him, always breaking things . . .

Thranduil shook his head to clear it; finished his work, picked up the letter, and went to eat lunch. Harune, Legolas, and Landion were waiting from him at the table.

As he slid into his seat, Thranduil passed the letter down to Harune. His father read it with an impassive face, laid it aside, and asked, "Will you go?"

"Yes, if you will keep an eye on the kingdom while I am away," Thranduil answered. "I do not believe it will interfere with your annual visit to the Iron Hills to see your daughter and her family."

"Not at all," Harune said. "And it would be my pleasure to keep Mirkwood on greased hinges while you are gone. It has been a long time since you took a vacation; the last one must have been several centuries back."

Thranduil pursed his lips. "Valar, how time flies."

"If you stay for the three months, add in the time it takes to make the journey to Rivendell, and back, I would say you will be away for at least four or five months," Harune continued.

Thranduil nodded. "Yes."

Legolas squirmed in his seat from impatience. As Harune took a moment to formulate his next words, Legolas said, "Where are we going? Can I come to? Why are we going to Rivendell? Have you ever met Elrond? Is he nice? Does he have children?"

Thranduil smiled. "Yes, his twin sons are a little younger then you and probably as prone to breaking things as you are. As for Elrond, he is a good person, and has a reputation for his healing abilities. He lives in Rivendell, and we are invited to stay with him for up to three months."

"I guess Landion cannot come," Legolas said, and his face fell slightly.

"Unfortunately, Landion was not invited," Thranduil agreed.

Legolas looked across the table at Landion but his uncle grinned.

"You go with Thranduil," he said. "Me and ada will have plenty of time to spend together without you in tow. Not that we mind," he added quickly.

"I will arrange for the departure," Thranduil said, finishing his lunch and rising to his feet. "We will need a small but effective guard of skilled warriors and will I see to the luggage."

Legolas twisted in his chair to look at his father as Thranduil made for the door. "When are we leaving?"

"In two days," Thranduil answered. He came to stand by his son and run a hand over his hair. "Do not worry, my little leaf. The journey may be long and possibly dangerous but the warriors I enlist to accompany us will be good fighters and friends. We will be safe."

Legolas nodded and turned his head slowly back around to stare down at his plate. He heard the door close as Thranduil left the room and wondered what Rivendell would be like. His small doubts were lost in the tide of his quickly rising excitement.

Two days later father and son departed on the journey to Rivendell, leaving the great forest of Mirkwood behind, in the safe company of half a dozen guards; skilled warriors with experience in protecting and facing the dangers of the world.

The days passed slowly; one by short one, with nothing to do but ride. Legolas was not bored; the last journey he had made, he had made alone, running from an abusive and cruel human lord. He had been cold and hungry and frightened. But now he could enjoy the sights of the land as they rode, and feel the wind in his face as his horse galloped. And, when all else failed to keep the dreaded boredom away, Thranduil and the guards all had humorous and entertaining stories to share. Legolas had never known Thranduil had once had a snake for an animal companion as a child.

But, as the well of amusement almost ran dry, Rivendell was reached, and the horses descended into the elven valley. They passed the clusters of houses, and the hooves of their mounts rang out on the marble paths. The trees grew mostly higher up, out of the populated ground along the high hills. A waterfall fell from the cliffs closing in the valley, and the river snaked through Rivendell. A great white bridge with a railing of elaborate designs in ivory and a wide, flat top arched over the river, and stone steps led up the steep hill to the house of lord Elrond.

The horses walked up the hill alongside the steps. The stairs ended at a wide square of marble set on the flat ground at the near top of the hill, and four paths of pebbles led away in different directions. Another flight of stairs led to the top of the hill, where the lord's house resided.

Standing at the bottom of the stairs with his arms behind his back, feet on the marble square stood lord Elrond, with his wife on one arm and two identical elflings in dark blue robes flanking him, squirming in the itchy high collars of their garb. To one side of the stairs stood another elf, tall, with broad shoulders, his golden hair blowing in the cool breeze.

Thranduil dismounted from his horse as a servant in black and white came forward to take the reins and hold them.

"It is with great pleasure that I welcome you to Rivendell," Elrond said.

"And it is an honor to be here," Thranduil replied. "I look forward eagerly to the time Legolas and I will spend here in the next few months."

The Mirkwood guards slid off their horses. One of them gave his hand to Legolas and helped him off the tall figure of his horse. Legolas stretched his cramped muscles, the heavy folds of his travel robe falling around him. His was olive green; Thranduil wore blue with a sweeping silver cloak, the hem of which was stained with a considerable amount of mud.

He came to stand beside his father and looked ahead of himself after a brief examination of the lord and lady standing before him. Elrond wore a dark robe with silver embroidery heavy around the wide sleeves, his dark hair smoothly combed and rippling. Celebrain was dressed in a blue dress with a sweeping skirt and a low neck, displaying her white skin. Legolas liked the look of the twins, but he did not like the vague feeling he felt that screamed aloud to him something was wrong with their auras. They were both smiling and looking at him curiously but there was something off about their eyes.

Ahead of him, behind the welcoming party, a short flight of wide steps led to a stone landing. Railings on either side of the steps were worked in lattice designs of flowers and spirals. At the bottom of the stairs, opposite each other, tall statues of elven warriors stood, holding aloft unlit candles. Elrond stood between them. More short flights of steps made the whole staircase, each one identical to the last, the last one ending at the noble houses of Rivendell set in the higher hills as a symbol of rank.

The valley below held many houses in different shapes and sized, nestled under stands of trees or spread out. The bridge over the river connected lower Rivendell, where the 'commoners' lived, to higher Rivendell, where the nobles lived.

"My servant, Sio, will show you to your rooms," Elrond said, gesturing to the tall, pale elf standing discreetly to the side of the landing.

"Hannon le," Thranduil said with a short bow.

"I am sure you must be tired from your long journey," Celebrian said.

"Our journey was long but not at all tiring," Thranduil answered. "We all enjoyed it greatly, even if it was peppered with moments where it was doubtful Legolas would stay on his horse at a full gallop."

Beside him, Legolas grinned. Elrond looked at him from under imposing eyebrows, with a hint of disapproval in his eyes.

"Our luggage is minimal," Thranduil said, picking up his skirts so he could ascend the stairs without tripping. "If it is not an inconvenience, I would like my escort to be as near to me as possible."

"Of course," Elrond said, but with a note of reluctance in his voice. "Sio, you may take the our guests to one of the guest houses and make them comfortable."

"Yes, my lord." Sio bowed.

Thranduil took Legolas by the hand as he walked up the stairs. Legolas skipped beside him, looking at Elrond as he passed. Sio led the way up the many flights of stairs until they came out on the top. A short flight of steps led up to the terrace of Elrond's house. Sio led the way around the house on a path, to a marble building set in the shade of a few trees to the left of the big house and a little ways down on the side of the hill.

Two doors led into a wide hall, under pillars holding up the porch roof. At the end of the hall, a wide room opened out, cool in the shade of the trees overhead. Sio gestured to the doors leading into the bedrooms off another short hall beyond the living room. There were eight doors in total, four on either side of the hall.

"Your majesty's room," Sio said, opening the door to his left.

Thranduil noted with satisfaction the adjoining door leading into Legolas's room next to his. The room held a big, fluffy bed with a red canopy. There was a chest of draws, a wardrobe, and vase of bright flowers on the bedside table.

"Hannon le," Thranduil said to Sio.

The servant nodded, "Your luggage will be brought in shortly."

He went to take the guards to their rooms. Legolas came out of his room, declaring, "It is exactly like your room, ada, only smaller."

Six servants entered the hall, demure and silent, quietly taking the bags they carried into the rooms of their owners and departing with a bow and a polite inquiry as to if anything else was needed.

Thranduil stared after them, wondering where the energy and spirit of elven life as he was used to had gone before he turned and pushed Legolas into his room, saying, "Come, let us change for dinner."

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Thanks for reading, and for pointing out I was misspelling Celebrian's name! I have fixed the errors!  
**


	10. Over Dinner

Dinner was held at the back of Elrond's house, under an open structure composed of a roof held up by tall wooden pillars, made to give shade and ward off rain. A long table stretched from one end to the other, lined by chairs. Seated to one side of the table was a bench, where a brown-haired elf sat, his eyes smiling. Before his nimble fingers was a golden harp.

At the head of the table sat Elrond. Servants in black and white took Thranduil, Legolas, and the Mirkwood guards to their seats at the table. Thranduil and his son sat to Elrond's left, facing the twins. Besides Legolas was the stalwart form of Glorfindel, the balrog slayer, facing Erestor. The rest of the Mirkwood guards filled the remaining chairs, down to where Celebrian sat at the foot.

The table held steaming platters of roast meat and vegetables, ice cold drinks, and a row of silver candlesticks down the middle holding tapered beeswax candles. The light reflected off the polished wood of the table. At each seat, a silver plate, silverware, napkin, and glass cup were set.

"May the valar bless this table with good grace and wisdom, "Elrond said. "We may now quench our hunger." He nodded to the elf at the harp, and the player immediately ran his fingers across the strings, producing a low, haunting tune. The servants poured the wine and fruit juice.

Thranduil found it hard to converse with Elrond over the delicious food. The air held the constantly lingering notes of the haunting tune played by Lindir. Elladan and Elrohir sat silently and stiffly in their sears, trying to keep smiles plastered onto their faces but failing. Legolas squirmed beside Thranduil, not liking the dull atmosphere and equally dull and lifeless questions. The eight Mirkwood guards sat in appalled silence, looking at each other and making small hand gestures to silently communicate their bewilderment.

Thranduil set down his wine cup, unable to take any more. He broke off his discussion with Elrond and Glorfindel to lean forward and look down the table at Hyrondal, his head guard. With a desperate expression he said, "If the good lord Elrond does not object, would you play us a tune or two?"

Hyrondal looked at Elrond. "May I?"

"Certainly," Elrond answered.

Hyrondal tossed back his wine cup and leapt to his feet. He approached Lindir as leaned down to ask him to move aside. Lindir shot a nervous look in Elrond's direction before he gave his seat to Hyrondal and stood reluctantly to the side, trying not to hover over his precious instrument.

Hyrondal shook the sleeves of his dress uniform back, drew in a deep breath, and hit the strings, giving voce to a rollicking and merry tune, inviting laughter and cheer.

Thranduil relaxed and closed his eyes with relief. He no longer felt as though he sat at a funeral, saying goodbye to a beloved family member. He switched his gaze back to Elrond. "You were saying?"

Elrond no longer seemed tempted to carry on the discussion so Thranduil conversed with Glorfindel instead.

"Who are you?" Legolas asked Erestor, wondering why the twins looked at him with shocked eyes.

"Erestor," said the elf, looking at Legolas in surprise.

"What do you do?" Legolas asked.

"I am lord Elrond's councilor and secretary," said the elf.

"What is a secretary?"

"A person who does someone else's office work. Does your father not have one? I should have thought king Thranduil would have a secretary."

Legolas thought for a moment and then shook his head. "No. Ada does his work himself, but sometimes I clean out his entire office for him. It collects a lot of rubbish." He thought and then added, "Harune sometimes helps him work."

"Oh!" said Erestor. "I should never have thought—king Thranduil does his work himself."

Legolas nodded. "Yes. Who helps you when you have too much work?"

"No one," said Erestor sadly.

"No one!" said Legolas in horror. "But how do you manage? What does Elrond do?"

"What any lord is entitled do. He does a few necessary bits of paperwork here and there and reviews documents but he spends the rest of his time enjoying himself and relaxing."

"You must be boring our guest, Erestor," Elrond said, looking down the table at the elf pointedly. He blinked as Legolas turned to look at him and said earnestly, "I am not bored at all."

Erestor cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Does your father spend a lot of time with you?"

"Hours and hours," said Legolas with satisfaction.

"But how does he find the time if he does his work himself?"

"He does not do it all in one day," Legolas explained. "He works from eight to twelve every day, and spends the rest of it with me!"

"You must be happy," Erestor said softly.

Legolas nodded, his eyes shining.

As dinner came to an end, Thranduil filled a plate with hot food. He handed it Hyrondal as the elf moved away from the harp with a smile. "You have forsaken your dinner to play for us. Eat now."

"Playing gave me as much pleasure as eating," Hyrondal said, accepting the plate. "I felt as though someone felt ill on the world by the tune before."

Elrond, Celebrian, the twins, Erestor, and Glorfindel gathered to wish their guests goodnight. After returning the words, Thranduil took Legolas's hand and departed with his party. It was only until he was halfway to the guest house that he realized Elladan and Elrohir had not spoken one word during the entire meal.

* * *

Elrond came into the living room after tucking Elladan and Elrohir into bed and joined his wife by the fire. He sank down into his armchair and shook his head.

Celebrian looked at him. "I see we share thoughts."

"Such terrible manners," Elrond said. "I wonder at his father!"

"Well, Legolas has no mother to rub off his rough edges," Celebrian said gently, "But I admit I was shocked at his behavior during dinner. Children are meant to be seen, not heard! If any child of mine spoke without being spoken to . . ."

"At least Legolas's wildness did not rub off on Elladan and Elrohir," Elrond said grimly. "They, at least, behaved like perfect elflings."

Celebrian smiled. "Yes, but I do hope Thranduil punishes Legolas for his shocking behavior."

"He did not so much as bat an eyelid when Legolas spoke to Erestor," Elrond said. He shrugged.

* * *

"I do not want to sleep by myself tonight, in a strange room," Legolas said, looking up at his father.

Thranduil yawned. "You may sleep with me. Run and change."

Legolas slipped out of the room while Thranduil changed into his nightclothes and pulled down the cool blankets on his bed. As he climbed onto the crackling mattress, Legolas bounced onto it beside him and grabbed a pillow for himself.

"Can Elladan and Elrohir talk?" Legolas asked, as he settled down.

Thranduil cuddled Legolas into the crook of his arm and patted his cheek as he pulled up the blankets with his other arm. "So you noticed to? I have not heard anything about them being mute."

"I will try talking to them tomorrow, at breakfast," Legolas said sleepily. "I meant to, but I got wrapped up with Erestor . . . do you think they know how to have fun here? Were we mourning someone at dinner I did not know about?"

Thranduil yawned. "I do not believe so. Now sleep, little leaf. It has been a long and tiring day for both of us."

"I hope Harune and Landion are not missing us too badly," Legolas murmured as he rolled onto his side and slept.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Quite so. The cheer Legolas and Thranduil bring is different to the cheer in Rivendell! Thanks for reading.  
**


	11. Over The Desk

Thranduil wandered through the halls of Elrond's vast house. It was after breakfast, and the twins had proved not to be deaf or mute, speaking quite politely after Thranduil bid them a good morning. They had gone out with Legolas to show him around Rivendell.

Thranduil paused to glance briefly out the window and saw Legolas skipping down the long flights of stairs with the twins in tow. He continued on, hoping his son would not break any windows, until he reached the end of it. He knocked on the door ahead and went in, having announced his presence. He stopped in the doorway and looked sympathetically at Erestor, remembering the conversation Legolas had had with the elf previously at dinner.

The room held a desk surrounded by walls lined by bookcases overflowing with papers, books, and files. Erestor lay on the sofa behind the desk, one arm lying across his eyes, quite clearly asleep.

Thranduil eyes the stacks of paperwork sliding off the desk from their lopsided piles before he shut the door and set to work with grim efficiency.

Two hours later:

"Erestor!"

Thranduil looked up from behind the desk as Glorfindel came into the room. He chucked another out-of-date paper behind him to the floor. It drifted down to join the paper-covered floor.

"What in Arda are you doing?" Glorfindel asked, his arms hanging limply at his side and his eyes wide open.

Thranduil eyed another document with skeptism. "I am a spy, gaining inside information as to Rivendell's position so I can wage war . . ." He looked up and grinned. "I am enjoying myself, Glorfindel. Can I help you?"

"Ah-ah, yes—no. You could not find what I need."

Thranduil blinked and put the paper in his hand on a small pile to his right. "I doubt that. The system is easy to follow, and your papers were unmistakable, bearing your name along the top. You will find your files rolled together and tied with red ribbon on the bookcase along the left wall."

Glorfindel followed Thranduil's finger and went to collect his papers. "You do know you are here to relax and enjoy yourself. This is Erestor's work."

"Mmm. Erestor is sleeping."

Glorfindel sat down in a chair facing the desk. He watched Thranduil for several minutes.

"Do you need something to do?" Thranduil asked, his eyes on the desk before him. "The floor always needs to be cleared of the rubbish collecting there. It is all out-of-date and unnecessary copies, before you ask."

Glorfindel considered the request for a moment before he got down on his hands and knees and started collecting papers. He scrunched them into tight balls; if a king could sit at a desk and _work_ like a servant, a balrog slayer could conqueror a floor of rubbish instead of a monster.

He stood up after the last paper had been collected and decompressed into a crinkled ball. Thranduil pushed his chair back and stretched his arms, meeting Glorfindel's eyes with a smile.

"Work well done," he said, and looked at the overflowing waste bin.

"You should awaken Erestor," Glorfindel suggested as he tossed the ball in his hands onto the waste bin.

Thranduil went to stand beside the sofa and leaned down to gently shake Erestor awake. The elf groaned and sat up with a jerk as his eyes fixed on Thranduil. "My lord?"

"The sun sets," Thranduil said. "You should retire and finish your rest in bed."

Erestor looked at him in confusion. "But it cannot be so late in the day . . ."

"You slept for a quite a while," Thranduil said, wondering why Erestor's eyes opened so wide in horror and his hand flew to his mouth.

"The paperwork!" Erestor gasped.

"Peace be with you; it is done!" Thranduil said, feeling immense satisfaction as he cast out a hand to the cleared desk.

"What? But how?" the elven secretary stared in bewilderment at the desk, unable to believe the overflowing piles of work were . . . gone.

"I tidied up a bit," Thranduil explained. "I had nothing better to do and, as I happened to be passing by, I came in to do what I could."

"Forgive me. I failed to do my work."

"You are exhausted and clearly overworked," Thranduil said kindly, it occurring to him Elrond did not seem to treat his secretary as well as he might. "I would b to, if I had not the help of my father in times of need. While Elrond may take the meaning of ruler in a different light then I, and not . . . contribute as much as he could—as I do—to his kingdom, that does not mean I am the same. I may be king, but that is not something I use to toss all my work onto someone else's shoulders."

Erestor's shoulders relaxed slightly. "I confess I . . . thought of you as I do Elrond." He brightened. "And while I am here, I would like to say how much I enjoyed my conversation with Legolas. He has such spirit!"

Thranduil smiled and his eyes slid sideways. "Yes . . . sometimes a little too much for me!"

Erestor grinned. His smile faded as the door burst open and Elrond came into the room.

"Erestor! Oh, Thranduil!" the elven lord exclaimed, "I have not seen you since our discussion after breakfast . . ."

"I have been busy, talking to others of your realm," Thranduil said smoothly. "Erestor and I were discussing his fine work."

"He has been behind for months," Elrond replied in doubt. He brushed that aside as he questioned the secretary, "I am here for my papers. Have you finished?"

"Yes, hir nin," Erestor replied, with a dip of his head.

Elrond's eyes traveled to the desk and he stopped short. "Gracious valar above, I cannot believe my eyes! For once you have caught up with your work!"

"It is relieving to see an empty desk," Erestor said truthfully, not daring to mention Thranduil's part in it, knowing it would go down the wrong way with his lord.

"I notice you look tired. You may have tomorrow off," Elrond continued. "Now, where are my papers?"

"Yes, hir nin. Hannon le, hir nin. Er . . ."

"You tied them with a green ribbon, I believe," Thranduil said helpfully.

Erestor rose to his feet and snatched up the bundle of papers bound together by a length of green ribbon. He presented them to Elrond with a bow. Elrond took the papers and left the office.

Erestor cast a grateful look at Thranduil before he noticed Glorfindel.

"Elrond is right," Glorfindel said. "You should go rest. I know how hard you have been working . . ."

Erestor ran a hand across his forehead. "Yes, I will. Excuse me, my lords."

As he slipped out of the room, Thranduil looked at his companion. "Shall we enjoy some refreshing wine before I embark to hunt down my spirited son?"

Glorfindel shook the sheaf of papers in his hand. "I will deposit these in my chambers and join you shortly. And if I may, I would like to accompany you on your search for Legolas."

"If it comes to that, I would be glad for your company!" Thranduil replied.

Glorfindel met him in the living room of Elrond's house but the search for Legolas was delayed as Elrond appeared and insisted he and his wife join them for a drink. The four elves ended up sitting out on the terrace in the evening light before dinner, staring down at Rivendell and sipping wine, both fathers wondering where their offspring were.

Thranduil was halfway through his first cup when he heard a small voice.

"Ada?"

Thranduil twisted and saw Legolas emerging from behind him, holding his arm. "Yes?"

"I have cut myself," Legolas said, displaying his injured arm and the blood running down it as he came to stand beside his father. "I was playing with the twins and their friend down below in the valley, and there was a sharp rock. I fell on it while we were wrestling."

Thranduil set down his wine cup and examined the abrasion on the arm, glad no veins were severed. Elrond, his mouth half open to tell Legolas the healers would deal with the injury, shut it as Thranduil wiped away the blood on Legolas arm, splashed cold water from a glass pitcher sitting near, and said, "It will stop bleeding soon, Legolas. It is not a bad cut. But, in the future, you might try finding less rocky ground for your playing."

"Yes, ada. Are we eating soon?"

"Dinner will be served in five minutes," Celebrian answered, running a critical eye down Legolas's mud-spattered and askew clothes, and wondering at Thranduil's lack of discipline as she watched him kiss the flushed cheek of the offending sinner.

"Thanks." Legolas looked down at his clothes. "I suppose I will run down to our house and change for dinner."

"I will come with you," Thranduil said, heaving himself out of his chair.

Glorfindel felt a twinge of discomfort as he watched the elf king walk away with Legolas skipping ahead. As the shadows swallowed them, he sat back sadly, hating to think of Thranduil punishing the bright-eyed elfling for his dirtiness, injury, or the fact he had been fighting. He knew Elrond would have doled out a heavy scolding and at least a few smacks if he saw his sons in such a state, and it saddened him to see the grieved eyes of Elladan and Elrohir. But after knowing Legolas, and seeing him start a discussion regardless of the 'children should be seen and not heard' rule, it did not seem like Legolas had the kind of father who ruled elflinghood with a strap!

"He is much to free with that child!" Celebrian said with a shake of her head. She rose to her feet. "I think I will go see if my sons are in an equally wretched state!"

"Are you coming in, Glorfindel?" Elrond asked, as he rose to follow his wife.

Glorfindel shook his head. "Nay. I think I will sit out here a while longer and reflect on life as I just saw it."

Elrond shrugged and walked away. Glorfindel twirled his wine cup without drinking and stared down at the twinkling lights of the valley before he found peace inside his heart and went inside to have dinner delivered to his room.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: I am glad the dinner came away as I intended, and that I managed to portray the uncomfortable atmosphere as well as I could, even if it was a barrel of laughs! Thanks for reading.  
**


	12. Thundercloud

Elladan rolled onto his stomach and rested his chin on his hands.

"I had such a fun time with Legolas!" he said.

Elrohir grinned. "Me to! I hope ada lets us play with him again tomorrow! And did you hear? Thranduil does his own office work!"

"And still spends time with Legolas," Elladan added. "Ada does barely any office work but he spends a lot of time doing things without us. Says we cannot do them or help him or join him . . ."

"Legolas is lucky," Elrohir said.

"Yes," Elladan agreed.

" . . . Do you think Thranduil . . . beats him?"

Elladan twisted to look at his twin, scrunching his pillow beneath his hands. The room was dark and the bed was cool, air blowing in through the open window. Elrohir's face was a mere shadow.

"I do not know, Elrohir," Elladan said at last. "I-I do not like to think about it—Thranduil may treat him with the same 'punishments' ada does us, but I cannot tell by looking at him if he lives the same nightmare."

"I heard ada say something about how Legolas's elflinghood was funny, and surrounded by suspicion."

Elladan sighed. "Ada does not know Thranduil well."

"Not as well as our relatives in Lothlorien," Elrohir agreed.

Elladan dropped his head onto his pillow. "Goodnight."

"Night," Elrohir murmured.

* * *

Morning greeted the twins with a bright smile on its face. Both elflings jumped out of bed and hurried to change, leaving behind their tidied room before they dashed down in time for breakfast.

"Good morning, ion nins," Elrond greeted them as he pulled up his chair to the table.

"Good morning," Elladan returned as he slid into his seat. Legolas was sitting beside him.

As breakfast began, Legolas asked, "Ada, may I go out again today? I have not finished exploring Rivendell yet."

Thranduil looked across the table at his son. "All right, but come back in time for lunch."

Legolas nodded.

"Can we go with him again, ada?" Elladan asked hopefully.

Elrond nodded.

"Thank you," Elladan said quickly.

Breakfast slid by in a flash. Legolas ran to give Thranduil a hug before he dashed out onto the open terrace and waited for the twins with an impatient look in his eyes. Elladan and Elrohir waved goodbye to their parents and skipped off to join him.

"Where do you want to go today?" Elrohir asked Legolas.

Legolas looked down at Rivendell as he came to the top of the flight of stairs leading down. He shrugged. "It does not matter. Do you have any favorite places? I like favorite places. If you come to Mirkwood, I would show you all mine!"

Elladan started down the steps. "Maybe ada will let us come some time soon. I would not mind that. Is Mirkwood nice?"

"It is my home," Legolas said softly. "And it is the most happy place in the world for me."

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other, wondering if they could say the same with the same sincerity. They both looked up, wondering if Legolas was coming down the stairs but the blond-haired elfling stayed at the top.

"Are . . . you coming down?" Elladan ventured to ask.

Legolas grinned. "Yes, but not the way I went down yesterday!"

"There is only one way to go up and down stairs," Elrohir argued.

"There are many ways!" Legolas said. "Do you know where we can find a piece of flat, smooth wood or a big piece of sheet metal?"

The twins looked at each other. "No. We have not had any need for big pieces of metal."

Legolas crossed his arms. "Do you not know how to have fun?"

The twins grimaced. Their kind of fun usually got them into trouble with their father.

Legolas sighed.

"We could ask a servant," Elrohir suggested. "They would know."

"Stay here while I run back into the house and ask," Legolas instructed. He turned to go and bumped into Glorfindel. He grinned up at the balrog-slayer.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Glorfindel asked.

"I need a big piece of metal," Legolas answered. "I was on my way to ask the servants if they knew where to fetch it."

"Whatever for?" asked the blond elf.

"If you bring me one, I will show you," Legolas answered. "In fact, we might need three of four pieces. Do you know where to find some?"

Glorfindel looked at the elfling. After a moment he answered, "Wait here."

Legolas sat down on the top step and waited, watching the elf hurry off in the opposite direction.

"How many ways of going down stairs do you know of?" Elladan asked.

Legolas looked at him. "Four."

"Four!" Elladan exclaimed. "What are they?"

"One is walking, two is falling, three is a mystery, and four is fun!" Legolas replied.

"I do not think it is fair to keep the secret to yourself!" Elladan complained.

Legolas turned and jumped to his feet as he heard the scraping of metal. Glorfindel approached, lugging four sheets of sturdy metal with him. He dropped them at the top of the stairs and wiped his brow.

Legolas's eyes lit up. "These are perfect! Thank you."

"Not at all," Glorfindel replied. "I will leave you to build your fort; I told Erestor I would come for a visit."

"I am not building a fort," Legolas said, dragging a piece of the metal to the top stair. "I am sliding down all these stairs!"

Glorfindel's eyes opened wide. He reached out a hand to stop the elfling, exclaiming, "Good grief, Legolas, you could kill yourself!"

But Legolas had already pushed off.

Glorfindel's hand flew to his mouth as Legolas let out a shriek of delight. The piece of metal shot over the stairs, picking up speed as it descended, the hair of its owner streaming out behind him. Legolas turned as the metal tray shot across the landing at the bottom of the first flight, and tipped over the edge to slid down the next, screaming, "Elladan! Elrohir! Climb on! It is fun, and you will not fall off if you hold on tight! Come on!"

The twins looked at each other.

"Come on!" Legolas yelled. "It is not any fun alone!"

"It does look like fun," Elrohir admitted.

"I am not sure your father would like it," Glorfindel said, not wanting to see the twins get into trouble.

"He will not mind as long as we do not get hurt," Elladan said finally, and he hopped onto the next sheet of metal. His heart flew into his throat as the sheet tipped up and shot down the side, little tremors running through him as it met with the stairs. The slant looked dangerous but he hung on to the edges. The wind rushed into his face and the ground flashed by. It was like sailing and it was terrific. He looked behind him to see Elrohir coming down fast behind him. He shrieked as the tray hit the landing and tipped up at the edge but he was more laughing now then afraid.

All three elflings were breathless by the time the trays hit the end of the stairs and plowed edge first into the pebbly path, spraying rocks into the air, and flinging their riders to the ground. The three lay in a tumbled heap and giggled.

"Do you do that often?" Elladan asked.

"The stairs in the palace have horrid curves," Legolas said mournfully. "And the straight ones are always short. But this was perfect!"

"Have you ever broken anything?" Elrohir asked.

"Only my nose," Legolas said. "I plowed into a wall the first time I rode down the curved flight of stairs, but I learned not to after I saw the horrid angle of my face!"

"Did it hurt?" Elrohir asked.

Legolas considered. "No. But there was a lot of blood."

"Was Thranduil angry?"

Legolas sat up. "No. Come, we have to drag the metal sheets back up to the top!"

Elladan looked up and groaned.

"It will be worth it in the end," Legolas encouraged. "The ride was five minutes of glory! I have never taken such a long trip! Even if it takes twenty minutes of sweat, I am willing to pay!"

"All right, come on!"

The elflings completed the weary toil back up the stairs, taking breaks at each landing and arrived at the top, sweaty and gasping. Glorfindel was nowhere in sight. All three lay down to catch their breath before they pushed the metal to the top of the stairs and climbed on.

Legolas and Elladan had pushed off and were sliding down. As his sheet wavered at the brink, Elrohir heard a yell and turned. Dismay filled his heart.

Elrond raced toward him, screaming, "Elrohir, get off that thing right now! If you even dare—!"

Elrohir gulped and scrambled for land but the metal sheet chose the moment to shoot down the stairs and it took Elrohir with it. The elfling held on but the joy of the moment was lost on him as he saw darkness falling down on him from above. He wished with all this heart he had not given in to the temptation and slid down the stairs. But . . . he knew he would cherish the memory of the first ride. It had been fun. More fun then he had had in a long time. He was not sorry he done it. And he did not care what Elrond did to him to punish him.

At the bottom of the stairs, he landed on top of Elladan, who lay laughing. His twin looked up at him. "What is the matter, Elrohir? Was it not fun?"

Elrohir sat up and pointed up the hill. Elladan saw Elrond running toward them and his wide small faltered into a small grin.

Legolas got to his feet as Elrond bounded off the stairs and approached the twins with a face like a thundercloud. He could not understand why Elrond was so angry. They had not hurt anyone, not even themselves.

"We were just having fun," Elrohir said meekly.

"Having fun?" Elrond exploded, taking Elrohir by the shoulders and shaking him. "Do you realize what could have happened? You could have killed yourself! Have you both lost your minds? You nearly gave your mother and me a heart attack! Sliding down the stairs! You have taken leave of your senses! Come with me!"

Elrohir's teeth rattled in his head. As Elrond stopped shaking him, he said, "I am sorry. I did not realize you—I—there was anything wrong with it."

"You put yourself in danger, Elrohir, without even thinking! I thought better of you both, and I am extremely disappointed!"

"It is not dangerous," Legolas volunteered hotly. "As long as you hold on tight and make sure no one is on the stairs before you go down, its is perfectly safe!"

Elrond scowled at him, and Legolas felt a quiver run through him.

"As for you, I hope your father gives you what is coming to you!" Elrond said. He took Elladan and Elrohir firmly by their wrists and stormed back up the stairs. He stopped glare down at the elfling. "And I wish I could do it for him!"

Legolas's gaze turned to ice. Elrond spun around and continued homeward, dragging two reluctant elflings to what was coming to them in the living room.

Legolas sat down on the ground and snatched up a handful of pebbles. He hurled them with as much force as he could, one by one, into the small stand of trees nearby, and wondered why he wished he could pound Elrond's face in. He felt small and helpless, like he once had at the hands of the cruel Lord Katar. He felt that something was wrong, something similar was happening, but he could not think why. Elrond would not hit his sons. Elrond was a good person! He was a healer! He was ada's friend . . .

"Legolas?"

"Go away!" Legolas spat as he heard Glorfindel approaching. The voice was all he needed to hear to know it was him. "You went and brought Elrond!"

"Legolas?"

Legolas felt tears glisten in his eyes as Thranduil knelt down beside him Glorfindel beside him. He leaned into Thranduil's embrace and let his tears slip free.

"Glorfindel came to me, little leaf," Thranduil said gently. "What is wrong? Did you fall and hurt yourself?"

"No!" Legolas sniffed. "I feel confused and angry! I am disturbed and I do not know why!"

Thranduil sat down to the side of the path and held his son, bewildered and confused. Legolas curled against him, his face hidden. What could be wrong?

"I am sorry I snapped at you, Glorfindel," Legolas said quietly, without looking up. "I-I was upset."

"It is fine," Glorfindel said. He slipped way, respectfully giving father and son their privacy. He wondered if Elrond had hit the elfling or yelled at him. That might have caused the feelings Legolas was feeling. He shook his head to clear it. He had not seen what had happened, and there were no answers he could give.


	13. A Little Freedom?

Legolas shook off the feelings of disturbance for the most part but they still lingered in the back of his mind during the rest of his visit in Rivendell. Thranduil, Legolas, and the twins went out on long walks. The twins found in Thranduil the father they had always wanted; the elf that would roll and wrestle in mud, exchange watery splashes, sprawl on the floor and play games, bake cakes in the kitchens, and go on long walks. True, he scolded and frowned to, but his disapproval did not bring with it the dreaded feeling of physical punishment. It was not long afterwards that Legolas and Thranduil headed home, leaving Rivendell a little less sunny, and its inhabitants wondered why. The twins watched him go with sinking hearts, wishing to be with him always.

Harune and Landion greeted their family with open arms at the gates of the palace in Mirkwood.

"How was your visit, Legolas?" Harune asked, as he hugged the elfling.

"It was fun," Legolas replied. "And I would go again! But I missed you."

"I missed you to, for all the noise you and Landion make," Harune said, patting the top of the blonde head. "It was too quiet while you were away!"

Legolas looked at Landion as Harune moved to greet Thranduil. "What did you do without me?"

Landion grinned. "We went swimming and picnicking and hiking and we baked cake every day! But I am glad you are back! I have been working up my arm strength and I am ready to wrestle you flat! Were the twins fun?"

Legolas thought for a minute and then nodded. "Yes. The visit was a lot of fun. I liked the twins, but they were not as much fun as you. Elrond is not very free with them, I do not think."

"I guess I never will be able to meet them," Landion said mournfully. "And I bet even looking at twins is a sight to behold!"

But Landion did get to see them for a month later a letter arrived from Rivendell and it was not good news.

* * *

"Ada?" Elladan whispered.

"Ada!" Elrohir gasped. His hands flew to his mouth. He turned and ran, screaming, "Naneth! Naneth! Come quickly! Ada is hurt! There so much blood—!" His voice choked off into a sob.

The door to the house above him flew open and Celebrian dashed across the terrace, clutching her skirts so she would not trip as she ran to Glorfindel's side. Her face was pale.

The blonde elf was sliding off his horse, his breastplate splattered with blood, a red tinge in his hair, and most of the red liquid was not his own. It was Elrond's.

Elrond lay limply in Glorfindel's arms, his face ashen grey, rivers of dried blood running across his face, his armor dented and pierced with holes.

"What happened?" Celebrian gasped as she skidded to a halt and reached out to assure herself her husband was alive. "You went to hunt down the orcs around the edges of the valley but . . ."

"We were ambushed," Glorfindel replied. "Elrond insisted on leading the party and . . . the injuries are bad. I brought him home as soon as I could. He is not dead but he will need to rest and recover many months before he is well."

The balrog slayer looked weary, lines of exhaustion running across his face. But he followed Celebrian in the direction of the healing wing as a servant ran ahead to alert the healers. It was only after Elrond was taken into the intensive care chamber and Celebrian was about to go in that she noticed her two sons, their faces scared.

"Will ada be all right?" Elladan asked in a small voice. "He did not look well; there was so much blood."

Celebrian knelt down by the twins. "Elladan, Elrohir, Elrond is badly injured but he is going to live. I will nurse him back to health with the aid of the healers. You . . ." Gracious valar, what would she do with the twins? She would not leave her husband's side until she knew her mate would live; she could not possibly look after the twins. Who could?

"He will be fine," she said again. "Now go back to the living room and stay out of trouble." She whirled and entered the chamber, closing the door firmly behind her, not wanting her sons to see the body of their father splayed out and decorated with holes.

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other. It was true they did not like how Elrond punished them but he was their father and they loved him, despite the fact they could not feel his love for them. A silent tear slipped down Elladan's cheek. He was not sure what it would be like of Elrond . . . died.

Glorfindel came out of the room behind the twins, with a bandage wrapped around his shoulder visible before he slid his arms into the sleeve of his clean robe with a slight grimace. He stopped and looked at the slumped shoulders of the twins. His mind briefly flashed back to Thranduil.

He was tired and he wanted to rest but he could bring himself to leave the two elflings alone and afraid for their father's life, no matter how hard he tried.

"Come with me," he said, coming up behind the twins.

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other. After a moment they followed him with troubled faces and disturbed eyes. Glorfindel took them back to the family living room, and called a servant to bring some hot tea. He sat down in Elrond's armchair and leaned back with a groan.

"Does it hurt?" Elladan asked, looking at Glorfindel's shoulder.

"A little," Glorfindel said.

"I bet ada's hurting a lot more," Elladan said, and tears filled his eyes.

Glorfindel nodded. "Yes, but the pain will pass. The healers know what to do, and your mother will be there for your father if he needs her. There is not a thing to worry you."

"There was so much blood," Elrohir said in a small voice.

"A lot of blood can be a frightening sight," Glorfindel admitted. He smiled as the twins crawled to his feet and came to rest their heads on his knees. By the time the servant arrived with the tea, both elflings were asleep.

Glorfindel leaned his head back and dozed off as the scent of the peppermint tea dulled his senses. He jerked upright as Celebrian came into the room, wiping her hands on a white cloth. She sank down beside him, reaching over to gently stroke Elrohir's hair with a trembling smile on her lips.

"They must be so frightened," she said softly. "And I do not know what I will do with them. I must stay with Elrond all day, and there is no one to look after them besides the servants and you. But you are tired, and you will have to take Elrond's place as lord until he is better . . . they cannot stay here while Elrond is healing. He needs quiet, and the twins can be noisy. He would worry about them, what havoc they were causing, and it would be worst for his health . . . perhaps I will send them to Lothlorien."

Glorfindel pursed his lips. "I think the twins would be happier if you sent them to Mirkwood to stay with Thranduil for a while. You saw how well he and the twins got on together. After the stair sliding episode, he and the twins went out together on long walks every day!"

"But he is much too free," Celebrian began. "The twins would come back ruffians!"

"But a little freedom is what they need right now. You know your parents are too much like you and Elrond. The twins would have nothing to think about but to worry about how Elrond is. For all that he is a little . . . 'free', Thranduil can keep their minds on something else," Glorfindel urged. He wanted the twins to have some peace and a break from the strap. He wanted to see the bright light that had shone so brightly in Legolas's eyes in theirs. And he knew Thranduil could light the flame.

Celebrian sighed and twirled a strand of hair on her fingers.

"I see your point . . . very well. Mirkwood it is! I will write a letter to Thranduil and ask but I am sure he will accept. They will be welled cared for. Legolas may not be my ideal visage of a son, but he is happy, that much I could tell."

Glorfindel smiled and heaved an inward sigh of relief. And a month later, after Thranduil replied to the message, welcoming the twins to his home, Elladan and Elrohir departed with an escort to Mirkwood. Their hearts were heavy with worry for Elrond, for they had bid his semi-conscious form a tearful goodbye after begging their mother to see him and the crooked smile, hooded eyes, and weak pat on the cheek was not at all encouraging. But their hearts did lift a little at the prospect of going to Mirkwood and seeing Thranduil again. And, while they were there, they would probably find out the answer to one annoying question that had bugged them for weeks.

Did Thranduil believe in corporal punishment?

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Thank you for reading. Sliding down stairs is something I too would have loved to do, but cannot because of the shortage of stairs around me! One day Elrond's methods will catch up to him. And it may be soon.  
**


	14. Mirkwood

Thranduil relaxed in his seat and reread Celebrian's letter for the tenth time in three weeks.

 _Dear Thranduil,_

 _Misfortune has befallen my husband and he finds himself injured, and in need of my attentions for a while to come before he recovers and is ready to take up the reins of the family again. While he lies abed, and I am nursing him, we cannot possibly look after the twins. As Glorfindel and Erestor will be busy filling in our places, and I do not feel comfortable leaving my sons to the care of the servants, I ask you to please take care of Elladan and Elrohir until Elrond is better._

 _I know my sons can be trying, and their mischief is hard to contend with, while they disobedience is sometimes difficult to deal with. Should the occasion arise, whatever punishment you deem fit to reprimand them will be, I am sure, just and fit to the occasion._

 _I am hopeful you will agree to care for the twins._

 _Best wishes,_

 _Lady Celebrian._

"One can only imagine the state Rivendell is in if Elrond cannot trust his sons in the hands of his people," Harune remarked.

Thranduil smiled. "Now, ada, I am not sure that is the case. But perhaps Celebrian feels they will be able to take their minds off their father here, in a new, never before visited realm."

Harune nodded. "It may be so. The wording of the letter is a little strange. I cannot place it but it has a peculiar ring to it. Especially the bit about punishment."

Thranduil shrugged. "I know Legolas is excited at the thought of seeing the twins again. They will be here soon."

"Landion is thrilled," Harune admitted.

"And what about you?" Thranduil asked.

"I am, on the whole, bracing myself for the hurricane. For elflings running through these halls will cause the trees from which it was carved to shake."

Thranduil grinned. "And no doubt the list of damaged and destroyed property pinned to my office wall will soon expand dramatically."

"It is nothing to joke about," Harune frowned.

"While in Rivendell, Legolas and I both felt as though something was off about the twins," Thranduil continued, "Something about them did not quite add up . . . their auras were off. Perhaps you will be able to place it."

"I will try," Harune promised.

* * *

The dullness of the long trip from Rivendell faded as the grand, twisted trees of Mirkwood spread out their boughs above the party of Rivendell elves. Elladan and Elrohir straightened in their saddles, shaking away their gloom.

"I have never been," one elven guard remarked as he ran his eyes over the trees. "But it is . . . interesting. Quite primitive."

"I think it is beautiful," Elrohir volunteered, taking in the fresh air and mossy woodland scent.

"We are all entitled to our opinions," the guard replied.

Elrohir slumped. The whole journey had been one long boring ride, with every conversation he had ever attempted cut short in the same abrupt way. It was almost as if their guards thought they were below intelligent discussion.

"When will be reach the palace?" Elladan asked.

"Tomorrow," the guard replied.

"I wonder what it looks like," Elladan said to his twin.

"It must be grand," Elrohir said enthusiastically. "Ada does not have a palace."

"Ada is not a king," Elladan said. "He is a lord."

"Do not talk about your father like that!"

Elladan winced at the snap of the guard and lapsed into silence. One peaceful night later, in the bright light of mid-noon, the palace finally came into view, reaching up to the blue sky above, its grand doors gleaming in the light. After a day of riding through the spread out houses and spirited atmosphere, the palace met all expectations, possessing an air of grace and stature.

Thranduil himself was standing at the end of the bridge stretching across the river behind him, leaning back against the tall pillar built into the end of the edges of the bridge. Legolas was sitting and dangling his legs over the edge of the flat, wide stone railing with another elfling beside him but both jumped up at the sound of the horses.

Elladan and Elrohir flung themselves off their horses as soon as the animals came to a halt and dashed into Thranduil's arms, the stiffness running out of their legs, overwhelmed with relief to finally be somewhere safe and interesting.

"It is good to see you to," Thranduil said as he ran a hand over each of the brown heads. As the twins stepped back, he said, "You know Legolas, but I would like to introduce to my little brother, Landion."

Landion looked at the twins from beside Legolas, not looking to be much older then the prince, and grinned. Elladan promised he would have to find out how Landion happened when Thranduil was centuries older then him.

Thranduil turned to welcome the six Rivendell guards as stable hands emerged from the woods to take their horses behind and send the luggage to the palace servants.

"Welcome to Mirkwood," he said. "I trust you had a safe journey?"

"Thank the valar," the head guard replied. "I am Juriel Felicion."

"I am glad the orcs have stepped down for now," Thranduil said. "Come inside and join us for lunch. Harune should have it ready be now, and he despises those who make it their business to be late, me included."

Juriel thought Harune must a palace servant or the butler or something but he did think it a little odd that any servant would have the audacity to include his king in the people he despised for being late! He followed after Thranduil, gesturing for his guards to follow after him.

The long table in the dining room was covered in platters of food, wisps of smoke curling off them. Legolas made a dash for his place with Landion beside him. Thranduil looked down at the twins. "You may sit wherever you like. And this is my father, Harune."

Harune glanced up at the elflings and smiled a warm welcome, his eyes kind and gentle. "It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance. You must be tired and hungry after your long journey."

Elladan and Elrohir thought about the long hours spent riding. "Yes," they both agreed.

Behind them, Juriel made a hasty effort to control his shocked features as he eyed up the elf sitting at the foot of the long table, digesting the fact he was supposed to be Thranduil's father but wondering what had gone wrong in the family that the king had ended up with a servant as his ada. What had happened to Oropher?

* * *

"He is not like Elrond," Esrestil said.

Both Noldor elves belonged to the Rivendell escort. Esrestil stood tall and lean, dressed in a comfortable brown tunic and leggings, having gotten out of his armor and heavy cloak. He had left his black hair plaited into a thick braid. His companion, Nix, wore similar clothing, the yellow of his shirt setting off the hazel of his hair.

"Quite," he agreed, clasping his hands behind his back as he and Esrestil strolled along under the trees, following the footpaths winding through Mirkwood.

"Have you nothing more to say?" Esrestil teased, a cool breeze blowing through the trees.

Nix shrugged. "I see nothing more to say. King Thranduil is, as you say, cut from different cloth. He seems kinder, more open and understanding."

"I hope he is," Esrestil said.

Nix smiled. "I have seen him frown only five times today, and Legolas appeared undaunted."

"Gracious!" said Esrestil, his head turning as he caught sight of Thranduil hurrying along a path through a gap in the trees. "What is he doing out?"

"Well, I do not see why you think he should stay inside all day," Nix replied.

"I am used to Elrond," Esrestil said, with a shake of his head, as the elf king disappeared. "I have not seen him out without full dress robes, and at least a few elves accompanying him."

"I do not think the wild Sindar elves here Elrond turns his nose up at are quite as refined as we like to think ourselves," Nix said, pushed sideways as Esrestil punched him on the arm.


	15. Adapting

Legolas swirled his hands in the water and watched the mud wash away, revealing his skin underneath. He waded out of the creek, feeling the cloth of his robe sticking to his legs as he rubbed his hands dry on the sides of his thighs.

"We should go home," he said, looking back at the creek. "We are probably already late for dinner."

Elladan's head jerked up in dismay. He was not ready to face Thranduil with the dreaded possibility of a strap in hand. But there was not anywhere he could run, and he would have to go back to the palace eventually. But after several days of carefree happiness and fun, the dark shadow had fled, only to be brought crashing back by Legolas's words.

"Will he be mad, do you think?" he asked, as he waded out of the water, feeling the pebbles at the bottom against his bare feet.

Legolas seemed to consider, cocking his head to one side. "Probably not really," he replied. Then he grinned. "But Harune will be furious if we track mud from the front gate up to our rooms."

Elladan and Elrohir looked down at their dripping clothes. "I do not see how we manage not to do that."

"We will have to go nude," Legolas said mischievously.

The twins exchanged doubtful glances. Landion and Legolas grinned. After the moment had passed, Landion said, "Our clothes will dry on the walk home."

As the four elflings began to walk away from the creek, leaving behind the mark of a laboriously constructed dam across the water, leaving a pool to fill up in anticipation of tomorrow, Elladan asked Landion, "Who is your naneth?"

Landion looked down at the ground. "She is dead. She—she died at the hands of humans, and afterwards Harune adopted me."

"Oh," said Elladan, realizing his had touched a nerve. "Sorry."

"It is all right," Landion replied. "It was a while ago, and I do not feel the pain of loss so strongly now. I know Harune loves me as much as she did, and I am happy."

Elrohir trailed behind the three elflings, looking at his shadow on the path before him. He felt as though it covered him completely, smothering him in fear. He had been curious once as to Thranduil's methods of punishment but to finally reach the day when the question would be answered was not particularly thrilling. His mind drifted to Elrond, weak and unconscious in bed, quite unlike the strong father who hit so hard for wrong.

Legolas ran into the dining room when they reached the palace with Landion beside him. Both twins lingered in the doorway, unable to decide whether or not to face the music or flee to temporary safety. They watched Legolas, not seeing lines of dread, only freedom as he slid into his seat at the table.

Thranduil turned away from Juriel at his left and put down his goblet of wine. His eyes twinkled, no sight of the sternness Elrond greeted tardiness with on his face. "I see you have been in the creek again, little leaf."

"We built a dam," Legolas said. "Or rather, we finished it. The pool will be ready to swim in tomorrow!"

"You must take me to see it tomorrow, Legolas," Thranduil said. "Now, out of that seat and run upstairs. Change out of those nature-ridden clothes. I will come up in a minute. As for dinner, you missed it by far, but I will ask Galion to set the table for four. Elladan, Elrohir, Landion. The same goes for you lot. Upstairs."

Legolas ran out of the room with Landion. Elladan and Elrohir followed him, wondering if Thranduil would punish them when he came up in a minute. It was not a pleasant thought, and it gave the thought of the elf king's soon to be approach an horrific tinge.

The twins' room was across the hall from Legolas's, possessing one large bed and good quality furniture. The bedspread was colorful, made of blue and yellow checks, with a round rug of the same color on the floor.

Elladan and Elrohir made for the oak wardrobe and pulled out matching blue tunics. After wriggling out of their current wear, they sat down on the bed in dry and clean attire to wait for Thranduil.

They heard footsteps outside their room, in the hallway.

A nervous feeling slipped into both elflings' stomachs as the footsteps ended outside their door, and it creaked open inwards, admitting Thranduil. He did not have any instrument of punishment in his hands, but even that did not settle the sickly feeling in Elladan and Elrohir's stomachs.

"I wanted to make sure you are both feeling welcome here," Thranduil said."I noticed you have both looked at disease on a number of occasions. Is anything wrong?"

"Is-is that all you came up here for?" Elrohir stammered.

Thranduil's eyebrows curved in slightly. "Yes."

"We . . . are still growing used to our new home," Elrohir finally said, taking a few moments to register the almost stunning fact that Thranduil was not going to punish them for being late to dinner. "It will take a little while, but nothing is wrong."

"If anything is wrong, or if you need to release any cornered feelings, you are free to come to me," Thranduil invited. He held out both hands. "Come down to your dinners now."

Elladan and Elrohir made a dive to capture each hand. Legolas and Landion were waiting in the hallway to accompany them down to dinner.

As the day ground to a close, the two tired Elrondions dragged their tired feet up the stairs to bed, and collapsed onto it, knowing they would miss being tucked in to the blankets.

"I think I will like it here," Elladan said, his voice slurred by sleepiness.

Elrohir yawned and reached for his nightshirt with an effort. He sat up and took off each article of clothing with remarkable slowness. "Me to."

Elladan and Elrohir were in the act of pulling down their covers and sliding into bed when the door creaked open and both twins turned, peering into the dim light with tired eyes.

"I came to tuck you in," Thranduil said softly, coming to the edge of the bed. "If you would like me to?"

Elladan blinked. He looked at his twin, a little taken aback by the offer.

"Yes, please," Elrohir volunteered.

Thranduil took the covers in his hands and pushed the twins down gently to the mattress. He waited for them to stop squirming before he pulled up the blankets and tucked them down. "Goodnight."

"G'night," Elrohir mumbled. He felt a cool hand brush over his forehead before silence greeted Thranduil's departure.

Elladan rolled over to look at his twin, plumping the pillow under his head. "Elrohir?"

"Mpfh?" said his twin.

"Do you think we should tell him about Elrond? About how he treats us, I mean? I-I do not want to."

"Me neither," Elrohir said, rolling to face his twin. "I want to forget about it and enjoy my time here without the burden of the horrible memories as long as I can!"

Elladan bunched his pillow beneath his arm. "I am glad that is settled. I agree with you, muindor nin."

"I am not sure I will want to go home," Elrohir admitted. "At the end of our time here, I may want to stay here my whole life!"

Elladan glanced at his twin. "I know you may not feel the same way after the exorcism, but . . . I love ada and naneth though it cuts my heart they hit us. They gave us life, and I . . . cannot bring myself to hate them."

"That is a good thing," Elrohir said softly. "But it does not make what they do to us right."


	16. Under Water

Legolas knocked on the door to his father's office. Thranduil should have been done by now, and he had promised to come see the swimming pool. Landion and the twins clustered behind him.

"Come in," Thranduil called.

Legolas poked his head into the room. "Are you done, ada? You promised to come swimming, and we will not have much time to swim if we do not leave now."

Thranduil surveyed his desk. "I am sorry, Legolas, but I have unexpected work to do, and I cannot come today. You will have to go without me."

Legolas's face fell. "Will you—will you come tomorrow?"

"I will try," Thranduil said, without looking up.

Legolas closed the door slowly and leaned against it. After a night of dreaming of a day with ada, it was hard to accept he would have to wait longer.

Landion touched his shoulder. "Come on, Legolas. We can go just the four of us. It will be fun."

"Yes," said Legolas. He straightened up and followed after the twins, still feeling the painful pangs of rejection.

The swimming pool was where they had left it. The dam had created a deep spot in the wide bed of the creek, full of shimmering water. The sun shone down directly on it, light glancing off the ripples. The trees along the bank covered some spots with dappled shade.

Legolas tugged off his clothes and splashed into the water. He lay on his back and floated, the hot sun on his bare skin as the water washed him downward and bumped him against the dam. He let out a yell, and gulped for a quick breath as Landion dove down onto him, thrusting him underwater. Holding onto the air in his lungs, he sank to the bottom and opened his eyes, looking at the rocks and pebbles as his hair floated up above him in stringy lines of yellow. The pool was too deep for him to stand up in the middle and still reach above the surface, so he swam to the top, and let out his breath as his head burst out into the light.

He looked for Landion. Elladan and Elrohir had hurled themselves into the pool beside him, creating giant waves of water with their hands as they splashed each other, moving further out into the deep. Landion was sitting on the dam, dangling his legs in the water, his hair clinging to his back and shoulders. Fish were nibbling at his toes.

Legolas grabbed a branch sticking out into the water from one of the tree trunks making the dam, and hoisted himself up onto the flat trunk, dripping water over the wood. He sat down beside Landion.

His uncle looked at his with innocent eyes. Legolas leaned back on his hands and looked at the fluffy clouds in the sky. After a moment he hurled himself sideways into Landion, and wrestled him off the log, into the pool, drawing in a deep breath before he hit the water with his squirming playmate beneath him, and sank.

Elladan was submerged up to his chest, and wondering how much further he could step before the water went over his head before a hand jerked his ankle from below, and he toppled into the water, a great wave going up and crashing down over him. He clawed for the surface and came up spluttering.

"Sorry," said Legolas apologetically. "I did not realize you were not ready."

Elladan glared at him. The water slowed his movement as he made a grab for Legolas, wiping the water from his eyes but Legolas slipped away like an eel. Elladan managed to grasp his ankle and reel Legolas in, shoving him below the surface. He felt Legolas slip his ankle from his grasp and disappear under the water.

Elladan drew in a deep breath and dove under the water, almost hitting heads with his twin. His fingers curled around a handful of pebbles. He thrust himself to the surface and came up, looking for Legolas.

"Attack!" he yelled, and hurling the small rocks and sand at Legolas, a few feet away.

Legolas dove with amazing speed, and the rocks skimmed the water above him, coming down in a hail. Elladan realized Legolas had a lot of practice at this. He was not so adapt; Elrond did not like rough play in the water because of the 'risks' and he scolded for rock throwing.

"Ow!" Elrohir yelped as a handful of pebbles splattered against his backside. He swished around and saw Landion grinning at him.

"You are not good at this, are you?" Landion said.

Elrohir brought out the handful of sand from behind his back, and peppered Landion with it. "Good enough!"

Landion shrieked, flinging up his hands to shield his eyes. He dove for cover to clean the sand out of his hair, and to collect his own munitions. He came up with a handful of mud, and looked around for Elrohir, but the elfling was gone. Wet slime on his back made him twist in a frantic effort to wipe away the mud, and he heard Elrohir giggle.

"Legolas, help!" Landion shrieked as the twins swarmed him, swimming in circles around him.

Legolas looked up from the shallow end of the pool, where he sat making a small arena of rocks around two fish. At the sight of Landion's predicament, he reached for a handful of rocks, grinning as the twins dove before he had even collected enough to throw.

Landion's eyes widened and he opened his mouth to yell as a shadow fell over Legolas, but he had no time to scream a warning before the shadow descended on his nephew, and flung Legolas out into the pool.

Legolas was plunged underwater before he could see who had thrown him but he would have known the hands anywhere. He came up and spun around to meet Thranduil's smile.

"Ada!" Legolas cried. "I thought you said you could not come?"

"I changed my mind," Thranduil said, dipping his hair into the water. "And I am glad I did. The pool is excellent, Legolas. I can tell how hard you and your companions worked on it."

Legolas smiled. "Thank you, ada. We did work hard; the tree trunks were heavy."

Thranduil opened his mouth to answer but Landion's arms wound around his neck and yanked him backwards into the water.

Legolas noticed Elladan and Elrohir had stopped splashing to watch Thranduil. He wondered why they looked so funny.

By the time it was too cool to swim anymore, every elf and elfling had soaked in enough water, and their skin was wrinkled at their fingertips and around their toes. After wading out of the pool, and watching the water clear as they dried off and dressed, they made for home.

Thranduil watched Legolas run barefoot ahead, his feet slapping against the hard dirt of the path with Landion behind them, the wind drying their hair. He held out his hands to Elladan and Elrohir, squeezing the small hands as they slid into his.

"Did you enjoy yourselves?" he asked.

Both elflings nodded enthusiastically, their hair dripping small drops of water onto the dirt behind them. "Yes. It has been one of the best days we have had in a long time. Do you go swimming often?"

"Whenever Legolas asks," Thranduil said with a smile. "There is a river in Rivendell. I am sure you must enjoy water filled days with your family."

"Our watery days are not as much fun," Elladan replied, rubbing the spot on his arm where a bigger rock had smacked it. "Elrond does not like us throwing rocks."

"Ah, well, everyone has different preferences," Thranduil said. "I was worried about Legolas hurting himself in the beginning but it wore off after I told him to throw only small ones. He decided he did not mind the sting of the pebbles, and he soon learned to duck them." He smiled at the memory.

"What is for dinner?" Elrohir asked suddenly as the sun began to set.

"Deer roast," Thranduil said.


	17. For Your Own Good

Elrohir yawned as he tumbled into bed. He was tired and worn out from the long but fun-filled day, and satisfied with the experience. It was another day he could add to his small well of happy moments.

"Goodnight," Thranduil said, leaning over him to pull up the blankets. He walked around to Elladan's side of the bed to repeat the gesture, and blow out the candle sitting on one of the bedside tables, plunging the room into darkness.

Elrohir lay awake, staring at the ceiling as he heard the door close, and soft footsteps make their way to Legolas's room. He rolled onto his side and snuggled against Elladan.

"I like it here," Elladan murmured.

Elrohir yawned and mumbled his reply, his words tumbling into an undecipherable slur as he fell asleep.

The dark was warm and comforting, Elladan's back against his. Pleasant dreams floated around Elrohir's head, and filled his sleep with smiles . . . until the nightmares came.

Elrond's face swam out of the darkness, dripping blood from the long gashes on his cheek. His upper body was bare and filled with holes, revealing his insides. His bloodstained teeth leered at Elrohir, and his eyes held the stern look that meant impending punishment.

Elrohir tossed in his sleep and whimpered.

"You have been bad, Elrohir!" said the dream Elrond, his face looming closer. "Very bad indeed." His hands came into view holding the strap across them. "This is for your own good."

Elrohir cringed back. He was standing at the edge of a cliff, the drop behind him long and deadly. He stared wild-eyed at Elrond as he came toward him, beckoning.

"No!" Elrohir screamed. "No!"

"It is for your own good!" Elrond said.

Elrohir shrieked and struggled against the iron grip that took a hold of his hair. As the strap came down, the scene dissolved and he found himself tied down to the stone, staring up at the moon.

"Be gone, demon!" Kaiale yelled in his face.

Elrohir's eyes stared up at him in fear, the ropes biting into his skin as he tugged and pulled, trying to escape. He wrestled his arms and legs free and ran. The stone faded from beneath him and he plummeted into darkness, screaming in protest.

Elrohir awoke with a jerk as he hit the floor, hot tears on his cheeks, the blankets he had dragged with him wrapped around his arms and legs. Elladan looked down at him from the bed with worry in his eyes.

"Nightmare?" he asked, climbing out of bed to look at his twin.

Elrohir nodded and sat up slowly. He leaned against the bed and rested his chin on his knees. He looked up, startled, as the door flew open and Thranduil rushed in, his dressing gown flung on untidily. Legolas stood behind him, his face puckered into a worried frown. A sleepy Harune and Landion, rubbing his eyes, stood beyond him in the hall.

Thranduil dropped to his knees in front of Elrohir and took the shaking elfling into his grasp. Elrohir leaned into the sleepy, piney scent and cried.

"It is all right, Elrohir," Thranduil said, stroking his hair. "Nightmares are frightening things; it helps to talk about them."

Elrohir gulped. He did not want to tell Thranduil about the nightmare. He did not want to say anything about the strap-wielding Elrond. He did want to think about home. But he had to say something.

"I-I dreamed about father," Elrohir faltered. He opened his mouth to go on but Thranduil said, "I know he must have looked unlike the father you love, injured and bloody. Such sights are enough to give anyone nightmares."

Elrohir sniffed. He did not say anything. He had not lied; Thranduil had drawn his own conclusions.

"I am sorry I woke everyone up," he said.

Thranduil patted his back. "It is fine; we will go back to sleep. Come, I will tuck you both back into bed. If you would like, I will stay and sleep with you."

"I-I would like that," Elrohir said. The arms around him were strong and secure and, to his knowledge, though it had not been confirmed, they had never wielded a strap or spanked a red behind. Something about that was comforting.

Harune came into the room and untangled the blankets from the floor. He remade the bed, straightening the sheets, and left Thranduil to the twins, taking Landion and Legolas back to bed.

The sheets were cool by the time Elrohir tumbled into them, the nightmare fading into the well of memories he tried to shove down and not think about. Thranduil flopped down on his back in the center of the bed and invited the twins to snuggle against each of his sides. Elladan reached for the blankets and tugged them up until they were evenly distributed across the bed.

"Thank you," Elladan mumbled.

Thranduil shifted his shoulders on the pillow under his head and murmured, "Of course. You are free to come to my room at night anytime you need me."

Elrohir fidgeted. "But will Legolas not mind? You are his father, not ours."

"Legolas is not jealous by nature," Thranduil murmured. "He will not mind. Settle down and sleep, Elrohir. Is the nightmare gone?"

Elrohir turned onto his side and nodded, his head in the crook of Thranduil's arm. Sleep came easily, and this time, it was un-haunted by images of his father. Elladan reached across the chest separating them and linked his fingers with those of his twins.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Indeed we women never were as inclined to throw rocks but Elladan and Elrohir . . . it could be said it is part of their warrior training. As for it ending in tears, it does, and then it turns into a learning experience.  
**

 **I would also like to take a moment and thank you for your review both on the last chapter and on Two Hunters since I hope you will be reading this. I do so enjoy opening my account and reading your wonderful reviews.**

 **A note on your queries:**

 **I tried to stress that Aragorn needed Gimli to carry the One Ring so he, as a human, would not turn into the newest Ring Wraith. Aragorn could not have taken it from Frodo at Weathertop because of that.**

 **Two Hunters is set along a modified setting so, for the purposes of the story, Sauron can lord over all of the above without the Valar standing over his shoulder and Galadriel can miss the evil intents of two of the Fellowship. Smiles. As for the going to Helm's Deep, Aragorn wished to see the whole of Middle Earth's armies of men in one place so he could wipe them all out in one go with his army of undead. I will go back into Two Hunters and try to bring that across.**

 **Thanks for reading!**


	18. Climb!

"Climb!" Legolas encouraged.

Elladan stopped to catch his breath, squinting up at Legolas several feet above them in the tree. He decided not to look down, knowing the distance between him and the ground was a far ways.

"Coming," he said.

Elrohir was right behind his twin, climbing hand over hand up the branches. The unused energy burning inside him escaped out his fingers and aided his work. At last he perched on the branches at the top of the tree and poked his head out the top of the leaves. The fresh air and wind sailed by, whirling leaves into the blue sky.

Legolas looked at him and grinned.

"Do you climb up often?" Elladan asked, dangling his feet over the branch.

"Not the same tree," Legolas said, snapping the small stick in his hands into small pieces with a thoughtful expression.

"Have you . . . ever fallen?" Elrohir asked.

Legolas appeared to consider. "I have lost plenty of skin shinning up trunks," he admitted. "But I have not ever fallen. What about you?"

"No," said Elrohir. "But we do not climb a lot."

Legolas thought back to Elrond's expression when he and the twins had gone sailing down the stairs at Rivendell. "Probably not," he agreed.

For a while the elflings sat in silence.

"We should go back down," Elrohir said. "And find a new tree to climb. One more difficult!"

Legolas grinned. "I will race you down."

"It would not be fair, as seeing as you have so much more practice," Elrohir argued.

"I will go easy on you," Legolas promised.

As the elflings started down the tree, Elladan asked, "Where is Landion?"

Legolas looked up at the twins. "He had to stay in with Harune and help him iron sheets."

"Ep!" said Elladan. He made a face.

"Landion likes it," Legolas objected. "It is something Harune has instilled in him. But you better stop talking and start climbing or I will win!"

"Ha!" said Elrohir. "There are two of us. So if one of us wins, we both share the victory since we are two halves of the same person."

"I am sure you think it very funny," Legolas said with a frown. "I object to the rule. I raise argument!"

"Ha!" said Elladan. He swung his foot down and reached for the lower branch. A sickening crack wrought the air and the branch under Elladan's feet gave way. He plummeted with a scream, the branches whipping across his body as he fell, and slammed into the ground, landing awkwardly on his feet. He tripped, and tumbled to his back.

As Legolas and Elrohir landed on the ground beside him, he groaned and looked dazedly at the two elflings.

"Muindor nin!" Elrohir said. "Are you all right?"

Elladan blinked and sat up slowly. "N-nothing is broken . . . I am fine." He looked at Legolas and grinned. "But I won the race."

Legolas's concerned expression faded into one of annoyance. He stood up and offered his hand to Elladan. "Indeed, and it was a good race. Falling is a good trick I must remember."

Elladan grabbed Legolas's hand and hefted himself to his feet. He doubled over with pain as his feet landed on the ground, and sank to his knees with a groan.

"I-I think I have sprained my ankle," he said, stretching his legs out in front of him.

Elrohir felt Elladan's ankles and nodded. "Yes, the left ankle bone is dislocated. We will help you walk home."

Elladan winced as Elrohir's hands wound around his left ankle before leaving his flesh. He leaned back on his hands; glad the ankle did not hurt. There was a dull ache. He wondered what Thranduil would say when he found out.

"We not far from home," Legolas said. "We will take you to ada. He will know what to do."

Elladan let Elrohir and Legolas help him to his feet. It was not easy hopping on one foot the entire way homewards but it was better then putting weight on the twisted ankle and feeling the sharp pain. With Legolas and Elrohir's help, he made his way to the family room in the palace and sat down in Thranduil's armchair with a tired sigh. His ankle was beginning to hurt now.

"I will fetch ada," Legolas said, and darted out of the room.

Elladan leaned his head back on the chair's plush back and bit back tears of pain. Elrohir came to take his hand and squeeze it.

"I m sure he will not punish you for falling," Elrohir said, without conviction in his voice.

"Ada," said Elladan. He stopped as Thranduil entered the room at a brisk walk and knelt down at his feet to examine the injury.

"I know it hurts," he said, after a quick look at Elladan's face.

"It is growing worst," Elladan said meekly. He felt Thranduil's fingers on his ankle, and he screamed aloud as a quick jerk twisted the bone back into place with a pop. Hot tears slid down his cheeks, but the sharp pain had gone back to the dull ache.

His vision was blurry but he did not need eyes to feel Thranduil's arms wrap around him in a tight hug. The elf king drew Elladan into his lap, and sat back in the armchair. The elfling's tears reduced to a trickle as the gentle hands on his back soothed him.

"You were not far from the ground when you fell," Thranduil said. "Nothing is broken. You have some bruises but you will live."

"I did not mean to fall," Elladan faltered, his eyes on his hands.

"No one does," said Thranduil, with a smile. "Be more careful next time, and it will not happen again."

Elladan wiped his running nose on the back of his sleeve. Next time? Tree climbing had not been banned over the small incident? He looked over his shoulder, wiping away his tears, as footsteps announced the arrival of Harune, Legolas, and Landion.

"I am all right now," he assured Legolas. He looked at Thranduil. "Can I walk on it?"

"Try," Thranduil suggested.

Elladan slid off his lap and took a few steps, wincing as a few sparks of pain shot through his leg. He shifted his weight back and forth and gave a satisfied nod after the pain faded.

"Dinner will be ready soon," Harune said into the silence. "I am relieved no one broke an arm. Or a nose." He pinched Legolas's ear lightly with a knowing look.

"Ow!" Legolas twisted away. "I did not mean to hit the wall!"

"It still looks the slightest bit crooked to me," Harune said, studying the small, delicate nose in the face of his grandson.

"You have been saying that ever since the day it stopped bleeding!" Legolas retorted. "And I know it is not true! I measured it exactly with a ruler!"

"I wondered what happened to that," Harune said at once. "No doubt in the clutter under your bed. Which reminds me—"

Legolas let out a scream and fled before Harune could tell him to clean his room out before dinner. As soon as he was gone, Harune eyed up his grinning son.

Thranduil heaved himself out of his chair, and paused a moment to tousle Elrohir's dark head. "Come; we do not want dinner to grow cold. Landion, find Legolas."

"He will not come as long as the threat of cleaning out his room is in the air," Landion objected.

"Tell him there are boar sandwiches for dinner," Thranduil said.

Landion's eyes lit up. As his mouth began to water, his excitement came to a halt and he examined Thranduil's face suspiciously. "Is it true though? Or is it a trick?"

"It would not be a good trick if I answered that," Thranduil replied. "But this once it is true. Esrestil and Nix accompanied the hunters on their hunt, and killed one of the rampaging wild boars. The meat is freshly roasted."

Landion shot from the room like an arrow from a bow at this ravishing description. Elladan limped slightly as he followed Thranduil and Harune to the dinner table. A quick look at his twin brought a grin to his lips. It faded to a smile as he said with his eyes, "I am happy there was no mention of punishment. I do not think he was even angry."

"He might have been, if you had broken something," Elrohir's eyes said.

Elladan looked away as his mind considered the question. He could not see Thranduil with a strap in hand and he did not want to try imagining it. But a frightening thought made its way into his mind:

What if Thranduil's gentle, kind nature covered the anger and boiling rage that could erupt from within him at times when it was needed? A hand guided by anger, and a mind ruled by the great lie would be a painful punishment indeed. Elladan closed his eyes and vowed he would do his best to never awaken it.


	19. In His Office

"Thranduil would like to see you in his office, Elladan."

Elladan looked up with a jerk as Harune's voice echoed in his ears. He cast a quick look at his twin, sitting cross-legged beside him on the open balcony, bent over his sketchbook.

Elladan looked down at his own drawing; a sketch of the same tree but the pencil strokes layered with his own style and uniqueness. Elrohir peeked at him, and his eyes were wide.

"Elladan," said Harune patiently from the doorway behind them.

A cool wind blew Elladan's face as he put down his pencil on the top page of his sketchpad and stood up. He did not want to see Thranduil in his office. He tried to think of what he could have done to make Thranduil have to call him to his office to punish him but nothing came to mind. He swallowed as he followed Harune.

Left alone outside the dreaded door, Elladan stared at the wood, not sure what to expect when he opened it. He stared at it and finally knocked.

"Come in," Thranduil called.

Elladan twisted the knob and peeked into the room, his heart racing in his chest as a dozen memories of being summoned to see his father flashed across his mind, each one highlighted by stings of pain.

Thranduil sat leaning back in his chair, one knee crossing the other, and a quill tapping his leg as he stared at a paper on his desk. Elladan's eyes traveled in one quick glance around the room, searching for any signs of a strap before he edged his way into the room.

"You called me," he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.

Thranduil tossed his loose hair over his shoulders and nodded. "Yes, I did. I wanted to make sure your ankle was not bothering you. Does it hurt?"

Elladan's mouth fell open. He was not used to such a show of compassion. To be called in the middle of the workday by a busy king, for the purpose of being asked if he was all right was not something he was used to.

"Elladan?" Thranduil said, looking up.

The elfling collected his dazed senses. "I . . . am fine. Thank you for asking."

Thranduil nodded. Elladan took the invitation to leave the room, closing the door behind him. He leaned back against it and let out a breath he had not realized he was holding. After his pounding heart had slowed down, he made his way back to the balcony.

Elrohir jumped to his feet as soon as his twin came through the door, his mouth half-open in question. Elladan held up a hand, and sat down by his sketchpad.

"He wanted to make sure my ankle was all right," he said simply.

"Oh," said Elrohir, and sat down. He stared at his finished drawing in silence, listening to the scratch of his brother's pencil. "Were you—were you scared?"

Elladan considered. He leaned back on his hands and chewed on the end of his pencil. "I was terrified. I did not want to be hit. Not by him. Not by ada. Not by _anyone_."

Elrohir flipped a clean, white page over the completed drawing in his sketchbook and looked out at the trees again, in search of an intricate leaf to put to paper.

"At least if you are called to his office, you will not feel the sickening churning we are used to when we are called to see ada," Elladan said, taking the pencil out of his mouth.

Elrohir twisted his head to look at him. "That is one good thing, at least."

"Where are Legolas and Landion?"

Elrohir shrugged. "I do not know. I have not seen them since breakfast. They went their way, and we came here. We have not had much time to draw . . ."

"We have had time," Elladan argued. "We have not felt like drawing. Ever since the moment in the living room, when we were trying to finish our pieces of art, and ada whipped us, I have not been able to look at a pencil without feeling sick. And after the exorcism, I had a hard time seeing life or beauty in anything . . ."

Elrohir smiled. "But then we came here. And it is not hard to see life and love here, where ada and naneth's shadows do not cloud the sun, and the sense of dread cover the moon."

Elladan applied the finishing touches to his trees, and put in a few puffy clouds. "I agree. I feel free and happy."

Elrohir picked up his sketchbook and moved closer to his twin, giving up the attempts at the leaves blowing in the wind. He tucked his pencil behind one delicate ear, the wind blowing his tresses.

" . . . I want to show you something," Elrohir said. His gaze slid to the floor. "I-I kept it a secret after the exorcism. I knew you were worried and hurting for me, and I did not want to make you more worried, so I tried to accept my pain on my own."

Elladan's pencil slashed across the page.

"I am sorry," Elrohir said. "But it is true. And it worked. I had to keep it hidden for fear ada would find it. It would have given him enough reason to put me through another nightmare, and I slept in terror every night, afraid he would find it, and . . . but I want to show it to you now."

Elladan drew in a deep breath. "What is it?"

Elrohir slipped a leather-covered book out from under his robe and handed it to his twin. "I began drawing at night when I was upset to give a vent to my feelings. I wanted to destroy the walls around me, tear ada's face to pieces, but . . . I did not have the courage to face the consequences of that."

Elladan opened the book in his hands. It fell open at the first page, and he grimaced at the sight of the horned demon, drawn in dark, angry colors, spitting fire. A small, shrieking figure engulfed in flames was a bad, slashed figure of Elrond.

"I wish you had not suffered alone," Elladan said at last. "I could have helped you bear it."

"But I did not want to drag you into it if ada caught me awake at night drawing," Elrohir said, his eyes studying Elladan's. "You know he would have had something to say about it, and it would not have been good." He leaned against his brother's shoulder.

Elladan flipped through the next few pages. He felt a little easier as the horrors of the drawings slipped away from angry emotions to smoother, more peaceful ones. The last drawing in the middle of the book showed a full moon sailing in the clouds.

"I can tell you calmed down and . . . tried to focus on something else other then your angry emotions," he said finally, closing the book and letting it rest in his lap.

"It helped," Elrohir said softly. "And I stopped hating. At least, I tried to. I still feel angry sparks inside me sometime, but I have forced myself to control them. I do not want to be flung into another exorcism because I screamed my feelings to ada, and was rejected with the same coldness he treats us with every justice day."

Elladan winced as he thought of Elrohir fleeing into the forest, and the events that had ensued and probably changed his brother forever. The feel of Elrohir's soft hair on his shoulder, mingling with his brought a smile to his lips, and his heart lifted.

"I am glad you are happy," he said.

Elrohir smiled. He snatched his book, and buried it in the folds of his clothes as Thranduil appeared behind them.

"Lunch is ready," he said.

Elladan collected his drawing supplies and tucked them under his arm. "We are coming."

* * *

 **Earthdragon: I agree, but hitting a child will do that and produce mistrust alone. As for falling out of a tree, Elladan and Elrohir felt the old fear alone, the fear they see in the face of a mistake or something that displeases their elders.  
**

 **Thanks for reading; I enjoy your comments.**


	20. Flow

Elrohir looked anxiously at Thranduil. "You do not like it, do you?"

Thranduil looked down at the elfling sitting on his knees at his feet, his hands clasped in his lap, and his eyes worried. Thranduil moved the paper from in front of his face, his fingers holding it causally in one hand, and leaned down out of his chair to touch Elrohir's cheek.

"No, Elrohir, I do like it. I was admiring the beauty in it."

Elrohir relaxed.

"I can tell you put a lot of effort into it," Thranduil continued.

"I could not make it look as good as the portraits done by the professional painters hanging in the royal gallery," Elrohir said, breathing out the sentence in one gasp.

Thranduil looked at the sketch in his hand. "I prefer it to the portraits. It has beauty in it only you could give."

Elrohir's cheeks turned red hot. He was not used to his drawings being received with so much encouragement and gratitude. "Thank you," he mumbled.

Thranduil smiled. "I will keep it my office on the wall to remind me of the elfling who mad it for me."

"I will not forget the time I have spent here either," Elrohir said, looking up.

"It is not over yet," Thranduil said, putting the sketch of his face Elrohir had drawn safely on the small table beside his chair. "There is still plenty of time left before you must return home." He leaned his elbows on his knees and cupped his chin in his hands.

Elrohir shifted, sitting cross-legged to take the stiffness out of his legs. "I know. But I still will not forget it. Do you—do you want to see some of the other drawings I have done?"

"I would love to."

Elrohir's face lit up as he reached behind him and pulled the leather-bound book across the floor towards him, grabbing the pencil before it could roll away. "Legolas and Landion took me to their favorite places in the forest so I could draw them. It was not easy sitting in the top of a tree, balancing the book on my knees at first but I got used to it. Eventually."

Thranduil slid out of his chair and came to sit beside him. Elrohir opened the sketchbook to the first page and laid it across Thranduil's lap, leaning against his shoulder to give himself an equal view of the pages. He was more intent on the warm feel of Thranduil's shoulder and the soft hair under his cheek then the actual kind words of encouragement and appreciation issuing from the elf king's lips.

"You must have stacks of these books in your room at Rivendell," Thranduil said as he closed the book. "Thank you for sharing the memorable moments you have captured so well in your drawings."

"Not stacks," Elrohir admitted as he straightened up and took his book. "But I do have quite a few. Elladan has his own pile as well."

"You show great talent in the field of drawing, Elrohir," Thranduil said. "And I am glad. We are not all made for battle and fighting. It makes me happy to know those who must one day grow up to lead a nation have other loves beside the duties that fall upon them."

Elrohir blinked. "We have not begun training yet, you know. Has Legolas?"

Thranduil grinned. "No, not yet. But he will soon; he has been asking about it for a while now. Ever since our run in with Lord Katar he has wanted to be able to defend himself."

"I have heard the name mentioned, and the incident referred to before, but I do not know who he is," Elrohir said curiously. He leaned forward. "Who is Lord Katar and what did he do?"

Thranduil's eyes lost their glow, and slid down to his hands in his lap. "He hurt Legolas . . . and me. And took Landion's family from him."

Elrohir sensed Thranduil found the topic painful.

"The story more concerns Legolas then I," Thranduil admitted, looking up. "I think it would be best if he decides whether or not he wants to share his experiences with you."

Wordlessly Elrohir nodded. it occurred to him Lord Katar must have done something awful to the royal family. Sensing he had disturbed Elrohir slightly, Thranduil rose to his feet, and gave his hand to the elfling. As Elrohir took it and stood up, with his drawing book under one arm, Thranduil collected the sketch Elrohir had given him and said, "Come, we will hang this up in my office, and then see if we can find your twin and Legolas. I am sure they must be up to something."

"While you hang it in your office, I will run and put my book and pencils in my room," Elrohir said. He paused and added meekly, "If I may."

Thranduil looked down at him with a curious expression. "Of course you may. I will wait for you outside my office."

He and Elrohir departed in opposite directions. Elrohir deposited his book and pencils on the small table on his side of the bed. As he was leaving the room, he glanced up and stared at his reflection in the mirror, not recognizing whom it was at first. He walked closer to the gilded mirror hanging on the wall and stared at himself.

He was no longer the silent and beaten down elfling he looked at so often when combing his hair in his room back home, afraid he would be late for breakfast lest he get a harsh scolding. And the cloud he had grown used to hanging over his eyes; the misery his heart felt at the use of the strap, and the torment of the exorcism, was gone, replaced by the strong and bright-eyed glow of true happiness.

Elrohir reached out a hand to touch the glass, moving quickly to wipe the few teardrops from his eyes, finding it hard to compress the smile sweeping across his face. Feeling more then grateful to Thranduil and Harune for bringing this joy into his life, he ran to find the elf king, his heart spilling over.

And for once no thoughts of Elrond lingered in the back of his mind; nothing about how he would have to go eventually, and know the sting of punishment again, obstructed the flow of his fea.


	21. King And Lord

Elladan waded across the creek, his bare feet poking into the pebbles. Legolas came behind him, dressed in a leather tunic and trousers, his feet bare. Mud swirled up under their feet and washed away downstream.

"Ada says the greatest of warriors can walk across a creek and not even stir up the mud!" Legolas said, as he climbed up onto the grassy bank, and let the sun dry his feet as he walked.

Elladan looked at his companion, out of his own robes, and in similar garb as Legolas to give him more freedom with his movement. "That is indeed a remarkable feat."

"Hyrondal can do it," Legolas continued. His eyes twinkled. "I showed the same doubt as you now, but he showed me; I had to believe him then."

"He came to Rivendell and played the harp," Elladan said, casting his mind back.

Legolas nodded. "Yes; the music was killing us all. We prefer merry sounds to dull ones."

Elladan grinned as he cocked his head to one side, and listened to the sounds of the birds singing in the trees, leaving beneath his feet, and the creek gurgling to itself as it swirled in and out of pools, and around rocks.

"I prefer this natural music to," he said. "But ada likes form—form—" His face puckered into a frown as he struggled with the word. "Formality!" he announced triumphantly. "Especially when he has guests."

Legolas considered. He nodded wisely. "Yes, I could tell."

"Your father is not as formal as ours," Elladan added.

"No," Legolas agreed. "He prefers freedom." He gestured to the trees around them.

"He has a giant kingdom," Elladan said.

Legolas lifted his nose into the air and answered, "That is why he is a king and your Elrond is only a lord."

Elladan made a grab at him but Legolas ducked and darted away, laughing. Elladan ran after him, the moss and leaves soft under his feet. He winced as he ran over sharp sticks and stones, frowning as he saw Legolas weaving his way over the soft spots without even watching where he was running.

Legolas splashed across another creek, and slipped on the mud of the bank. He let out a yell, and sat down hard in the water, a great wave of water careening over his head. Elladan stood on the bank, and doubled over with laughter.

Legolas crawled out of the water, and shook the wet mud off his hands, scowling as he wiped a clean hand across his face. He joined Elladan dripping, and punched him on the arm. "It is not funny! It might as well have happened to you!"

"Ha!" said Elladan, and wiped his eyes.

"Anyway, ada says I cannot take a trip around the entire kingdom until I am older," Legolas continued. "And all of the warriors refused to escort me. They said it would take weeks. But ada said I may begin my training soon!"

"Are you excited?" Elladan asked. He looked down at his reflection in the creek, the ripples coursing across his face. He knelt down and studied his face, noticing his eyes seemed brighter. He dipped a hand into it, and his face vanished into a swirl of sand.

"Thrilled," Legolas answered. "I can hardly wait to begin. Where is Elrohir?"

"He elected to stay at home and draw," Elladan answered. "Should we go back and find him?"

Legolas peered up at the sky. Finding no sign of it through the heavy foliage, he examined the ray of lone sunshine near him. Judging it to be near evening, he nodded. "If we run, we will make it back in time for dinner. Race you!"

Both elflings arrived breathless at the gates, and looked up at the projecting balcony to their left. Elrohir was not sitting there to welcome them.

"I will change while you go to the dining room," said Legolas, and made for his room.

Elladan knew the way through the palace by heart now, and he walked with intention though he did not need to think about where he was going. He met Thranduil and his twin entering the room ahead of him, and hurried to grab Thranduil's other hand.

Thranduil looked down at him with a smile. A frown crossed his face as he asked, "Where is my Greenleaf?"

"He fell in the creek," said Elladan. "He was dripping mud, so he went up to his room to change."

"I can tell from the sparkle in your eyes you and him must have had a wonderfully rough time," Thranduil said, letting go of the two hands as he slid into his seat at the table.

Elladan nodded, cast a brief glance at dinner, and then looked up at his twin with the silent question of 'what have you done today?' in his eyes.

"I drew," said Elrohir. "I will show you the picture before we sleep tonight."

Elladan pursed his lips. "I have not seen Landion today. Or Harune. Where have they gone?"

"Harune and Landion went out for a picnic together," Thranduil answered.

"I can hardly believe they went without us!" Elladan exclaimed.

"Harune and Landion have not been father and son for as long as you might imagine," said the elven king. "They like there alone time."

"Sorry," Elladan mumbled.

"There is nothing to apologize for," Thranduil said, with a quick shake of his head.

Elladan felt a flush rise into his cheeks, but he remained silent. He twisted in his chair as Legolas dashed into the room and sat down, wrestling with the ties on his clean shirt. His hastily combed hair he tucked behind his ears before he looked expectantly at his father.

"A hurricane seems to have whirled in," Thranduil teased, leaning over to kiss Legolas on the cheek.

"It did not blow anything over," said Legolas, with a grin.

"Thank the valar," said Thranduil. He ran a hand over the smooth, rosy cheek. "The list in my office is growing old."

"Collecting dust," Legolas said.

"For you to clean," Thranduil finished.

The elfling pouted. "My roughness has touched up the twins a little bit, ada, while their meekness has knocked off my rough edges."

"Where on middle earth did you hear that?"

"Harune told me," Legolas said. "Where is he? Is he eating with us?"

Thranduil shook his head. "No. It has been so warm at night, he and Landion have gone to spend some bonding time in the forest for a few days, leaving me to deal with you three hooligans. Now eat up."

"Imagine Harune abandoning you like that," Legolas teased.

Thranduil closed his eyes. "I. Will. Survive."

Legolas burst out laughing and reached for his fork. "I will help you live, ada. If you died, I would be alone again."

Thranduil chewed on a mouthful of salad and smiled as he thought about how lighthearted and happy Legolas was. The nightmares Lord Katar had brought upon the royal family seemed a long time ago, buried in the dimness of the past. He looked at the twins, and was glad to see the bright color of their eyes, and the pink of their cheeks, even if they were fighting over the flat bread.

* * *

Elladan peeked at Elrohir as his twin poked him in the side and groaned. "Trying to sleep here, muindor."

"Are you awake?" Elrohir whispered.

Elladan rolled onto his back and pulled the blankets up to his chin. "I am now. What is it?"

"Have you noticed we look different?" Elrohir asked.

Elladan nodded. "Yes. While I was with Legolas, I saw myself in the creek. Our eyes are brighter."

"And the joy our souls know is glowing," Elrohir murmured.

Elladan yawned. He stretched and tossed off the blankets. He crossed the room to the window, and opened the curtains to let in cool air. He leaned on the sill and stared out at the night sky, admiring the stars. Elrohir came to join him, draping a sheet yanked from the bed around both of their shoulders. He rested his cheek on his hands watched the moon as it appeared to move across the sky.


	22. Long Bow

"I have been thinking," Legolas said, a little louder then normal.

Thranduil peeked over the top of his book. Legolas stood directly in front of him, looking at him expectantly.

"About what?" he asked.

Legolas's face fell. "About my warrior training!" he mumbled.

Thranduil concentrated on the serious expression on Legolas's face. "You been doing a little more then thinking, have you not? I received a certain report from Hyrondal and I am sure you know exactly what it said."

Legolas squirmed. "I was near the weapons room, and I could not help it. I had to enter; the blades and bows were singing my name!"

Thranduil set the book across his knee and leaned his cheek on his hand. "Hyrondal reported when he came up to see me as per my orders after I received his note that, when he entered the room, you nearly blinded him."

Legolas flushed. "Well, I did not see him come in; he should have made more noise. Anyway, the important thing is I did not blind him."

Thranduil waved that away. "Have you been up to your room yet?"

Legolas looked a little guilty. "Ah . . . no. I cleaned it out a few days ago, and I did not want to do it again today!"

Thranduil shrugged. He picked up his book. "Come back to me and we will pick up the discussion where we left off after you been up to your room. When I told you to run up there at breakfast, I cannot recall mentioning anything about cleaning it . . ."

Legolas collected his disappointed face and slumped out of the room. Outside the door, he struggled to hold back the tears in his eyes, and deal with the hole in his heart. He could not believe it! Ada had not even remembered it was his birthday.

The elfling slumped his way up to his room, his head and shoulders drooping. He wondered where the twins were, hoping he would meet them on his way upstairs. He could use their company to bring the sunshine back into the day. Ada had not remembered . . . it was unbelievable, and it hurt. How could he have forgotten? After all they been through and the many times he said he cared . . . and he had not even remembered . . .

Legolas stopped outside the door to his room and stared at it. He felt like he was being punished, sent up to his room for no apparent reason at all. He did not want to go on. Not now. Not ever.

Legolas made his way to the end of the hallway, opposite the oaken door leading into his father's big bedroom, and stepped out onto the balcony there. The hall curved away from the door, and led downstairs. The fresh wind and air greeted him, blowing away some of his angry, hurt emotions as he leaned on the railing and stared down at the treetops. He squinted as he picked out the forms of Elladan and Elrohir, chasing each other. He thought about joining them, but rested his chin on his hands instead, and watched them until both elflings disappeared after a rough wrestle on the pine covered forest floor.

He straightened, his spirit revived, though he still felt abandoned and alone after ada had not even remembered his birthday, and dragged his feet to his room. He might as well do as he had ben told before he went back down to sit in stony silence with his father. As he opened the door and looked in, feeling his heart sinking again as he thought of the warm nights he and Thranduil had spent cuddled together on his bed, his eyes opened wide and a scream escaped his lips.

His hurt feelings abandoned, replaced by slight guilt at thinking his father had forgotten his birthday, he stared at his bed in disbelief, reaching out a hand to touch it just to make sure it was real and not a dream. The red bow fell away under his fingers and, as he heard footsteps at the door, he swung around.

"Happy birthday, little leaf," Thranduil said, kneeling down into a hug to catch Legolas in his arms.

"I was afraid you had not remember," Legolas murmured. "I am sorry I spent the last hour hating you. I cannot believe—I did not think—it was a year ago."

Thranduil stroked Legolas's silky hair. "I do not break my word. I said last year, when you asked me, that you could begin your training this year, and I did not forget that."

"When—when do I begin?" Legolas asked.

"Let us take it one step at a time," Thranduil said. "You are still young, Legolas. Now, I know you wish to learn to fight, but you have been through much more then anyone your age. While I am not saying I do not wish for you to be able to look after yourself, I want to make sure your desire to learn is not for the wrong reasons."

Legolas cast a quick look back at the longbow on his bed before he looked his father in the eyes. "It is not. I know what you are thinking but it is not my reason. I do not want to learn to fight to ex—exact revenge on the people who hurt me when I was with Lord Katar. I do not want to wage war when I am older either. I want to learn to fight so I can protect the new home I have come to love, and the people who live in it."

Thranduil's eyes lit up, and his face could not hold the proud smile on it. As he embraced Legolas, he said, "I am glad of it. But there is no pressure on you, ion nin; I will not force you to do what you cannot. If it is too hard now, you can always wait. And if you find yourself struggling, I am here for you."

"I know, ada," Legolas murmured. "I will be here for you to. I love you."

"So much," Thranduil replied, planting a kiss on the rosy cheek.

"But when do I start?" Legolas asked, jumping back in excitement.

"Tomorrow," said Thranduil as he rose to his feet, and tousled the blond head in front of him. "Harune and Landion will be home for dinner."

Legolas looked at the beautiful curve of the bow; its polished wood gleaming, and his mind shot to the archery fields in Mirkwood.

"What time tomorrow?" he asked.

"Your classes are in the morning, while I am working," Thranduil answered. "We will still have the rest of the day to ourselves as usual. Your classes are two hours a day, from ten until noon."

The next question rolled off Legolas's lips. "Now that I will begin my archery practice tomorrow, when can I have a sword?"

Thranduil slapped a hand to his forehead. "I told you we would be taking this one step at a time. A sword is still a ways off in the future. Besides, little leaf, you do not know where your talents lie yet. They may not be with a sword."

Legolas's face fell slightly. "All right. But I think you forgot to give me the arrows for the bow, ada."

Thranduil shook a finger. "Oh no, I made no such mistake. Hyrondal will supply you with arrows before you leave for the archery fields tomorrow; I cannot have you putting holes in the guards, much less me, this day."

Legolas pursed his lips. "You will not give me the arrows because I almost accidentally blinded Hyrondal, are you not?"

"My reasons are my own," replied his father, and held out a hand. "Now, come along. I am sure you will want to share the news with the twins as soon as you see them."

Legolas brightened. "Can they come with me to the archery fields?"

"Of course."

"But can they shoot to?"

Thranduil considered. "I am not sure Elrond wants them to begin their training yet; he has not mentioned it, and he might not appreciate it if they come home with tales of archery lessons. They are his sons, you know."

"But it will not be as much fun if they sit and watch," Legolas objected. "Elrond knows Elladan and Elrohir will begin their training soon to; we princes have to eventually, and he may appreciate us giving them a start here. Everyone knows we have the best archers!"

Thranduil held up his hands. "I will tell you what; we will ask the twins what they prefer. They have had long, busy days here, and I am not sure they want to be shoved into taking archery lessons when they could be roaming the woods, enjoying their temporary freedom."

Legolas's face showed what he thought of Thranduil's reasons.

Elladan and Elrohir were in the living room, collapsed by the window, catching their breaths. The twins looked up as Legolas announced, "I am taking my first archery lessons tomorrow! Do you want to come?"

"We would love to!" came the reply in unison. "But only if we can shoot."

Legolas cast a smug look at his father, and was rewarded with a dry stare.

"You can shoot," Thranduil said. "As long as you follow your instructor's exact instructions. Hyrondal will give you your longbows tomorrow when Legolas goes down to collect his arrows."

"Hannon le," Elladan said softly. "It will be fun."

"If you find it restrictive, you free to spend your time elsewhere," Thranduil offered.

"We will try it first," Elrohir volunteered. "I am almost positive Elrond will have us beginning our lessons in book subjects and blades soon anyway. It will be nice to have some ground to walk on when it all comes crashing down on us."

"It will not be that bad," Legolas said optimistically. He looked at his father. "Will it?"

"Do not worry," Thranduil assured him. "Even when you sit down for book learning, none of your lessons will be longer then the time I spend working myself total. I would shut you away to slave over books, and expend your stamina on the sparing field for longer then I sit behind a desk and wrestle with the problems of the kingdom!"

Legolas relaxed. Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other and it occurred to them Legolas truly had a wonderful father. Both twins had the distinct feeling their lessons in book learning and blades-man-ship would be long and tedious and hard, and that Elrond's attitude toward it would differ far from Thranduil's. As Legolas hugged his father's strong waist, looking up at him with bright, happy eyes, a lump came into their throats, and both elflings turned hastily away to blink identical teardrops from their eyes.


	23. Split

The archery fields stretched out, a wide, long expanse of short grass ringed by tall trees. One end of the field was lined with balls of hay, the shafts of arrows sticking into them. A hill rose up behind the bales to keep stray arrows from flying into the trees and injuring anyone.

Several instructors, marked by their blue tunics and white belts, were standing at intervals behind the row of Mirkwood elflings, their arms folded behind their backs. Occasionally they would lean down to speak to one of the students. The line began with the youngest elflings and progressed to the oldest, where complicated targets were set up across from them at the far end of the field.

Legolas stepped out into the field, his heart fluttering. He felt Hyrondal's hand on his shoulder guiding him forward with one and Landion with the other. His uncle looked over at him and grinned.

As Hyrondal approached, one of the archery instructors approached, twirling an arrow in his calloused fingers. His black hair was braided back from the delicately chiseled features of his face.

"Greetings, Hyrondal," he said.

"And the same to you, Myrel," said the captain of the guard. "I have brought you four new students. Elladan and Elrohir will be here as long as they wish. Legolas and Landion will be here for the full lesson."

"I will take them off your shoulders; you must have some eager young warriors waiting for you in the sparring yards," Myrel said, a smile lighting up his tanned face.

"There are a sight to many this year!" Hyrondal replied, pushing his brown hair from his face. He waved to Myrel as he departed, calling back, "Legolas and Landion, behave yourselves!"

"Yes, sir, captain, sir!" Legolas replied, snapping a smart salute. He turned to Myrel with a wide grin. "When do we start?"

"I see I have an eager one," Myrel remarked. "Come; we will appraise each of your abilities, and then send you to your place in the field."

"I have not shot much before," Legolas said, jumping beside him as Myrel led the way to a corner of the field.

Myrel pursed his lips. "You are here to learn after all." He pointed to the straw bale ten feet away. "Legolas, see if you can place your arrow in the straw bale."

"From here?" Legolas said. "But it is so close."

"Do as you are told," Myrel said, his expression indicating he had been through this before.

"Oh, all right." Legolas selected an arrow from his quiver and placed it to his bowstring. He looked at the straw bale, lifted the bow, and drew it back. The weapon twanged as he released, sending the arrow flying forward, and the string slapping against the leather guard on his right arm.

As the arrow hit the center of the bale, Legolas looked up at Myrel with an annoyed expression. "See? I _told_ you it was too close."

"You may be the prince," Myrel warned, "But you better watch your tone! Step back five feet and try again."

Elladan and Elrohir winced at Myrel's threatening voice but Legolas appeared undaunted. He walked five feet back, and sent another arrow into the center of the bale. Both twins watched with interest as Myrel ordered him to retreat five more feet after each hit.

"I wonder if he has been practicing on the sly," Elrohir suggested, looking at his twin with a cheeky grin.

"He will miss soon enough," Elladan replied, folding his arms over his chest with a knowing smile.

At the hundred-foot mark Legolas's arrow finally slipped past the straw bale, and sank into the side of the hill. Legolas frowned at it and kicked the grass.

"Retrieve your arrows while I talk to the elf who will be your master," Myrel said. "You exceed the standard ability of elflings your age."

Legolas punched his fist into the air with a yell of excitement, and ran to collect his arrows. Myrel waved to the elf standing with a group of young elves.

"You have a new student, Aleph," he said, jerking his head toward Legolas.

Aleph tilted his head to one side, green eyes squinting at Legolas. "The prince? He is a little young for my teachings. Wait a few decades and then send him to me."

"He is ready now," Myrel assured him, clapping him on the back. "He missed from where we stand now out of about twenty shots."

"I will be sending him back to you if your judgment is a failure," Aleph replied. He beckoned to Legolas as the elfling ran to join him. "Come with me, Legolas. Your place in the field is with me."

"Good luck!" Legolas called back to his friends as he followed Aleph.

"Thanks!" Landion called. "I will need it! I already missed at the twenty-foot marker! I guess I am stuck here until my aim improves or I find out I am a natural!"

Legolas grinned. His smile faded as he saw his fellow students were at least a few decades older then him, and a foot taller then him to. Every eye in the group of fifty young elves turned to him with doubt and raised eyebrows. Legolas squirmed.

"This is your new classmate, prince Legolas Thranduilion," Aleph announced. "He will be with us as long as his ability allows."

"Greenleaf," Legolas said.

Aleph looked down at him with a critical expression, and he flushed.

"What?" his master demanded.

"Prince Legolas Greenleaf," Legolas mumbled, his eyes on the ground.

"Look at me when you talk, and do not mumble."

Legolas swallowed hard. He wished he could have stayed with Myrel. Aleph was hard and mean, and his barking orders reminded him of Lord Katar.

"Yes, sir," he said.

"Good. We are at the beginning of our lessons for today. We are practicing the shoot and run technique; Alexei will demonstrate."

The elleth nodded to her teacher, the cloth of her green, knee length tunic stretched across her rounded breasts and secured by the strap of her quiver. She broke into a run across from the straw bale, her longbow loaded and ready. As she passed, she released the arrow, and sent is spiraling into the center of the bale. She jogged back to join Aleph.

"I am not sure I can do that . . . yet," Legolas said.

"I doubt you can," Aleph replied, in a voice that infuriated Legolas. He waved a hand. "You will do the same thing Alexei demonstrated but you will do it walking."

Legolas drew in a deep breath. He had a feeling missing was not an option; Aleph would not be the kind of person to forget and would rub it in every chance he got, while the older elves around him, their eyes sneering, would snatch the opportunity to tease him about it. For the first time, he felt like a cornered animal, cowering from the angry fists of Lord Katar, but unable to defend himself against them.

"You may take your turn, Legolas," said Aleph.

Legolas gulped. His stomach lurched as he walked, horizontally across from the straw bale. He lifted his bow, the arrow tip touching his finger as he drew it back and concentrated on the center of the bale. He let it go, and came to stand beside Aleph with a pounding heart, unsure if he had missed or not. He looked up at the straw bale and the sickness in his belly faded as he saw the green fletching of his arrow safely inside the bale. He closed his eyes and thanked the valar.

"Beginners luck," said Aleph. His students went through their routine with speed, each one of them running and firing their arrow as they passed, the elf after them bouncing on their feet in anticipation of their turn. Legolas's turn came back around much faster then he would have wished.

Legolas stepped out onto the path worn in the grass where the elves had run and walked sideways, facing the straw bale. He felt the eyes of his classmates boring into him as he moved, judging his very steps. His bowstring twanged and the missile sailed across the ground.

The tsking of Aleph's tongue, and the snickers of his classmates told him he had missed even before he dragged his drooping head up and saw the arrow sitting in the side of the hill beside the bale.

Aleph patted Legolas on the shoulder but it was not one of sympathy. He leaned down, his weight hard on Legolas's small frame, and spoke into his ear. "You will to practice harder, Legolas."

"Of course," Legolas said, fighting to keep his voice steady though it bristled with angry feelings and tears. He raised his head as the running feet of the students before him took off.

Twenty-three turns, and fifteen misses later, Aleph turned to Legolas, shaking his head. "Ten out of twenty five shots are far below the average expected of you; collect everyone's arrows and bring them back here."

Legolas looked at the hundreds of arrows sunken into the straw bale, and the few littered around it. He looked up at Aleph, the unfairness of his task lying heavily upon him, but he met a smug glare. Turning quickly, he ran to obey.

The straw poked and scratched his arms as he dug out the arrows, and the heavy pile he lugged back across the field hurt his arms, the pile of shafts slipping and sliding as he lurched back to Aleph. As he passed his classmates, one of them stuck out a foot. Legolas tripped and staggered to his knees, the arrows falling in a cascade across the ground in front of him.

"How clumsy," Aleph said scathingly. "Pick them up and divide them equally by forty nine. Everyone should have twenty five arrows apiece . . . provided you collected them all, and did not break any."

A chuckle of laughter rose into the air. Legolas stared at the fallen arrows. "One of your students tripped me. I did not fall on purpose."

"Filthy lies," Aleph said, his voice light. "Now do as you are told."

Legolas rose to his feet and glared Aleph in the eyes. "No, I will not. Have your students pick them up; the arrows are on the ground because of them, not me."

Legolas's saw Aleph's hand go back and ducked, out of instinct. The hand flashed past him as he scrambled to his feet and shied away from Aleph, dropping his longbow to the ground. Aleph's fury radiated into the air as the elf faced him.

"Obey me, Legolas, or you will be sorry!" Aleph said. "It is not your place to question me. Do it or I will break this."

"NO!" Legolas cried, as he saw his precious longbow under Aleph's foot. "My father gave it to me!"

"Then down on your knees, and pick up the arrows," Aleph said.

"I hate you," Legolas said, tears in his eyes. "You are cruel."

"And you do not belong here," Aleph replied. "I do not like weaklings."

"I refuse to let your cruelty drive me away!" Legolas cried.

The sound of his raised voice attracted the attention of several of the archery masters standing alongside their students, and their eyes were questioning, worried even. The nearby elves cast curious looks at Legolas, wondering what he was arguing with his teacher for.

Aleph removed his foot from Legolas's bow, and stood back. He looked at his students. "Pick up your arrows; classes are over for today."

Legolas's heart leapt. He looked up at the sun; he could not believe two hours had passed already! Dying to run home and hurl himself into Thranduil's kind arms, he knelt to pick up his shafts and longbow. He headed toward the trees behind him, purposefully avoiding Landion and the twins. He needed to be alone to sort things out, and settle his emotions.

The elf prince walked slowly, his eyes on the ground and his longbow at his side. His feet dragged as he wondered what he would say to ada. He hated to tell his father he had not enjoyed his first day at archery lessons. He wanted to learn even if it was hard, and he wanted not to disappoint or worry Thranduil.

Legolas looked up as he heard a stick crack but all around him were trees. He wondered if the twins and Landion had enjoyed their lessons. For a moment he briefly wished he had no special talent; he wished he could have stayed with his friends and family instead of being sent to an advanced class.

A hand clapped across his mouth, the firm arm choking off his cry of alarm and fear. His longbow fell to the ground as he struggled to peel the arm away; it pressed down on his throat and made it hard to breath. He gasped for breath and staggered away as the arm disappeared.

Legolas swallowed as he looked up and saw the elf that had tripped him earlier in the fields. He whirled around as two more elves stepped out of the trees.

"You think you are good enough to step into our class," said the elf behind him, coming closer. "You think because your father the king, and your rich, you can walk into whatever you please. Well, it is not true. You do not belong with us, and when we are done with you, you will see how true it is. You will go back home, and tell your father you are not ready for out class yet."

"No!" Legolas cried, his heart pounding in his chest. He moved to run but one of the elves to his side dove and grabbed his arm, jerking him to a halt.

"You deserved to pick up your own arrows!" Legolas cried. "It was unfair of Aleph to make me collect everyone's arrows, and then try and punish me when you tripped me!"

"How dare you talk back to me, you snot?"

Legolas gulped. He was not sure how far the bullies around him would go but he felt cornered and afraid. His eyes opened wide and his heart tore as he heard a loud snap and saw his longbow break across the knee of the elf in front of him. Tears blinded his vision; tears of anger and grief.

"You beast!" he howled. He twisted and bit down hard on the fingers holding him, tasting blood. As the elf yelled and released him, holding his abused hand, Legolas jumped onto the elf holding his broken longbow, grabbing a handful of his hair and jerking it out with an angry tug. A fist connected with his jaw, and sent him sprawling back, red spots dancing before his eyes. A hard kick in his ribs made him cry out, and he tried to scramble away but all three elves were on him now; bigger and stronger then him, and intent on beating him.

As the feet and hands rained down on his body, he curled into a tight ball, his cheek hard against the cool ground, tears turning the dirt to mud beneath him. He felt the sharp sting of a branch snap across him, and the black world around him gave breath to images of Lord Katar descending on him with angry words on his lips, and his hands ready to deliver a hard beating. He squeezed his eyes closed and tried to escape the pain, struggling to cling to memories of his father. He tried to pretend the blows were gentle hugs and kisses but it was hard to forget he was huddled at the base of a tree, surrounded by three bullies.

Legolas heard a sharp yell. He stayed curled into a ball, hearing running footsteps as the elves around him scattered. He heard someone kneel down beside him, and touch his shoulder. The hand was gentle but unfamiliar.

Legolas un-hunched his shoulders and raised himself up on his dirty hands, wiping the mud out of his watering eyes as he looked over his shoulder at the elf behind him. Immediately, he cringed back, and scrambled backwards. His back dug into the sharp branches of a tree, and he winced, staring wide-eyed as Aleph came toward him.

"Are you all right?" Aleph asked.

Legolas's lips trembled. "L-leave me alone!"

"I apologize for treating you unfairly," Aleph said, his hand landing on Legolas's arm. "I . . . judged you because of your age instead of treating you with the respect everyone deserves. I give you my word tomorrow will be different. You will learn what I have to teach."

Legolas whimpered, his voice a mumble as he thought of his broken longbow. He dragged himself to his feet, stumbling against Aleph as the elf caught him. He felt dizzy and every step hurt.

"Let me help you home," Aleph offered.

" . . . No . . ." Legolas murmured, staggering. " . . . Have to go home . . . alone. Please . . ."

"I am afraid you do not have the strength to make the walk," Aleph said.

Legolas jerked upright. "I am fine! I have survived this before! I cannot—please leave. I need—I—I need to go home—alone."

Aleph saw the plea in Legolas's eyes and stepped back with a silent nod. Legolas watched him leave, leaning against a tree until he was out of sight before he picked up the broken halves of his longbow and wandered home, frightened of facing his father but unsure why.

* * *

 **Wow! Long chapter! I hope it was satisfying.**

 **Rubyblue100: Thanks for reading. I am happy you enjoyed the chapters you read, and I will hope you read far enough into the tale of My Word to read this.**


	24. Broken?

Thranduil bit the meat off his fork and lowered it, chewing. "I am glad you and Elladan had such a good day."

"I only wish Legolas had been in the same class as us," Elrohir answered. "Myrel sent him off with a look of awe."

Thranduil smiled. He looked at the door to the dining room. "I wonder where he is. I should have thought he would have been the first home to express his excitement."

"He walked home by the long route," Elladan said. "Landion and I saw him leave the fields. He was walking slowly. Maybe he needs time to think. I know I do, when I have been through something new."

"He will be hungry," Thranduil said. "Lunch is almost over, and breakfast was many hours ago."

"His stomach will bring him home soon," Harune said, wiping his lips with his napkin and setting it down as he pushed back his plate.

"I hope so. To look forward to his bright eyes, and have to wait longer then expected is heart-wrenching," said Thranduil, with a grin.

"I do not think archery is my strong point," Landion said. "I think I would prefer training with a blade. Hyrondal would make a good teacher and I know he teaches swordsmanship; I have seen him in the sparring fields barking orders like a wolf."

Harune covered Landion's hand with his own. "I am not yet ready to let you run off to that quite yet. Besides, every good warrior has some skills with every weapon, longbow included. I think you better keep at archery for a while longer before you decide to make a run for the sparring fields."

"How much longer?" Landion asked.

"Perhaps a decade or so," Harune replied.

Landion grinned. "All right, ada. Myrel is a good teacher, but my arms hurt. I am not sure I will be fit to climb trees later today when Legolas comes back . . ."

Harune pushed his chair back. "Legolas will be home soon. Help me clear the table; we will take down as much as we can. Galion will be here to take care of the rest."

Landion pushed his chair back.

Loud footsteps sounded in the hall outside, and Legolas's drooping form stumbled through the door. Harune sat down with a shocked expression while Thranduil let out a gasp of horror and jumped to his feet, running for his son.

Legolas collapsed against him with a sob as soon as Thranduil reached his, his mud-covered hands clinging to the front of his robe as he buried his face in his father's chest and cried. Thranduil held him in a tight embrace, unsure if the bruised and battered face he had seen for a brief second had been his imagination or real. He pulled Legolas back by the shoulders but Legolas clung to him as if his life depended on it.

Thranduil scooped Legolas into his arms, the smudged cheek resting on his shoulder while hot tears slid down his neck, and walked for the living room, where the comfort of the sofa would make a good resting place.

Elladan and Elrohir stared after him before they looked at each other.

"Well," said Harune, forcing his numb legs to move. "I have not seen him look like that since . . ."

"Since Lord Katar beat him," Landion finished.

"We will leave the table for Galion to clear," Harune said. "Landion, run and ask Healer Jailil for a tub of healing salve. Elladan, Elrohir, fill the bathtub in Thranduil's bathroom with hot water. Legolas is filthy and undoubtedly sore; a bath will make him feel better."

As Elladan got out of his chair, he asked meekly, "Will Legolas be all right?"

"He is with his father," Harune answered. "He will be fine."

The elflings scattered in two different directions while Harune made for the living room.

"I wish I knew who Lord Katar is," Elladan said, as he wrestled with the pump in the white-tiled bathroom. The water came in a flood, splashing into the porcelain rub, steam curling off it.

Elrohir draped a fluffy white towel over the top of the pump to heat on the hot pipes. "I have not asked him about it. But Landion said Lord Katar . . . beat him."

Elladan swished his hands in the water filling in the tub. "Maybe he is like Elrond . . ."

"Or maybe he is worst," Elrohir said.

Both twins shuddered.

Elladan tapped his fingers on the warming towel. He said, "I will go down and see how Legolas is."

Elrohir nodded, and let the pump handle down. Leaving the tub full of steaming water, and the towel keeping warm, the twins ran down to the living room.

Harune put his fingers on his lips when he saw the twins and motioned for them to stay near the door. Landion leaned forward from his father's left to look at Elladan and Elrohir, pressing the tin of salve in his hand into Harune's.

Elladan and Elrohir smiled a quick welcome before turning their gazes to Legolas. The elfling's quiet sobs were muffled in Thranduil's chest, his dirty blond hair stringy, pressed down by his father's arm around him.

"It will be all right, my little leaf," Thranduil soothed, rocking his son. "I know you have been hurt, but the bruises will heal."

"It-it-it-it is not that," Legolas sobbed. "The longbow—they-they-they bro-broke it!"

Thranduil leaned his cheek on the top of Legolas's head, and said quietly, "Oh, Legolas, I am sorry. I know how much it meant to you."

"I-I did not have it for more then two days," Legolas sniffed. "I-I know I can have another one but it will not be the same!"

"It will be special in its own way," Thranduil said, kissing the grubby blond head. "How badly are you hurt? Is anything broken?"

Legolas sat back and wiped his nose on the back of his torn sleeve. He shook his head. "N-no. I have bruises and cuts and my h-heart is torn, but I am alive and whole."

"Of that I am glad," Thranduil said. He stood up and lifted Legolas into his arms. "Come, we will clean you up."

Legolas leaned his head on Thranduil's shoulder as he was carried up to the hot tub of water. Tears leaked from his eyes as he thought of the destroyed longbow. The horrible crack of its demise still haunted his mind.

Thranduil set him down on the tiles of the bathroom floor, and helped him out of his torn clothes. Tasting salt tears on his lips, Legolas climbed into the tub and sat back against the rim, leaning his head on the edge.

Thranduil winced at the sight of the bruises and gashes on Legolas's body, for the clothes he had worn had not offered much protection against the fists, feet, and sticks of Legolas's attackers. He sat down on the wide long edge of the tub, and handed Legolas a bar of soap and a sponge.

Legolas's fingers reached for it, but fell shy into the water with a splash. He leaned his head back and shook it. "No, ada. I want to sit here by myself for a little while."

Thranduil stood up. "All right. I will leave the soap here for you. Come out when you are done, before the water grows cold."

"Mmm," said Legolas.

Gathering up the torn garments on the floor, Thranduil left the bathroom, pausing in the doorframe to glance back at his son with a wistful expression. Legolas looked at him, and a slight smile crossed his face. He shifted in the tub as his father closed the door.

Thranduil sighed and tossed the scraps of the clothing in his hands onto the table to his left before he sat down on his bed with another exhale of air.

"He is not . . . seriously injured physically," he said, picking at the threads of the yellow bedspread. "It is his heart that knows pain."

Harune tossed the tin of salve onto the bed near Thranduil and nodded. "The longbow meant more to him then it would to most elflings his age. He will grow past it."

"Mm," said Thranduil, absently tossing the tin of salve in his hands. "I hope so . . . monstrous bullies, attacking my son!"

"They do not realize the full consequences of their actions, or how their violence effects others," Harune said. "You can ask him about the three elves when he comes out of the bathroom."

Thranduil ran a hand across his forehead. "Yes . . . I am not sure what I will do to make him feel better. He is devastated."

Harune sat down in a chair at the table. "I remember the time when you were assaulted by a dozen young elves."

"Yes, but my heart was not torn out," Thranduil said. "And I had not spent my early years with a monster!"

"What monster?" Elrohir asked. "Like a demon?"

Thranduil looked at him. "In a way, yes."

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged looks. The door to the bathroom creaked open and Legolas came out in a cloud of steam, a towel wrapped around him, his face pale, and his legs a little shaky.

Thranduil beckoned to him. "Come lie down; I will rub some salve into your bruises to dull the pain a bit."

"Hannon le," Legolas said, flopping down on the bed and resting his chin on his hands. Thranduil sat up and uncapped the tin, scooping out a generous quantity of salve. He slathered it onto Legolas's naked back, put down the tin, and leaned forward to rub it in.

"Will you be all right?" Elladan asked.

Legolas looked up and nodded. "Yes. And when I take my next class, I would like to walk home with you."

"We would like that," Elladan said. "We saw you wander off today but we thought you wanted to be alone. If we had followed you . . ."

"This might have still happened," Legolas said. "It is not your fault."

Harune gestured toward the door. He rounded up the three elflings and herded them out of the room, closing the door behind the four of them.

Legolas looked up at his father as he moved his wet hair off his back. "Ada, I want to return to the archery fields. I do not want you to take this as an omen of bad luck. And-and I wish to continue my lessons with Aleph. I want to learn all I can and Myrel can only teach me what I know."

"If you wish it, you may return," Thranduil said. "I understand your wishes, and I consent. I will speak to Aleph and ask him to be sure no one attacks you again. And I think I will come with you for your next lesson. It would give me great joy to watch you practice."

"But you have to work," Legolas began.

"It will not kill the kingdom to have me away from my desk for two hours," Thranduil replied. "It will give us both some happiness."

"I will need a new longbow," Legolas said, a hint of sadness creeping into his voice.

"I know," Thranduil said. He leaned down to tuck Legolas's hair back and kiss the salty cheek. "Do not despair; the hole in your heart will mend soon. You will have a new longbow."

"It will not be the same," Legolas whimpered.

"I know, but I promise it will be as special as the one I gave you," Thranduil said.

Legolas shook his head. "It will not be as special, ada. Nothing can replace it."

Thranduil sighed. He wiped his hands and reached down to pull Legolas into his lap. "Well, if I cannot replace it, let me at least give you a kiss and bring a smile to your sad face."

"I will feel better if you hold me," Legolas assured him, curling in his father's lap. "And I will be grateful for a new longbow."

* * *

 **Earthdragon:** Thank you for your review. It is true, Legolas may have been less inclined to rebel if Thranduil had given him some orders to obey all he was told. The elvenking omitted to do so, it would seem. Bullies are strange creatures, and always prey on the weak, being cowards themselves. Legolas is indeed not one of first to walk into a new school and come up against them. As for Legolas, you will have no doubt read of his decision by the time you read this. Thanks again. **  
**

 **Rubyblue100:** Thank you for taking a moment to say how much you enjoyed the story. I love it when silent readers take a moment to say something, even if it is just a few words.

 **To everyone else reading this:** Thank you for reading. I hope you continue to enjoy the story.


	25. Lost On Yonder Rock

Elladan dangled his legs off the rock, feeling his legs hitting up against the stone. He looked at his bare feet, stained with mud.

Elrohir cracked open his eye and looked at him, raising his head a few inches from the cradle of his hands clasped behind him on the rock.

"What is the matter with you?" he asked drowsily.

The sun shone down on the rock, bathing it in warm light, and giving Elrohir an inviting napping place.

"I wonder if Legolas is all right," Elladan volunteered. "Ever since Harune hustled us out of the palace, I have been wondering."

Elrohir stretched and yawned. "I know. The mud on your face proves you paid no attention to our wrestling. A standing shame."

Elladan twisted to frown at him.

"We will have to return home eventually," Elrohir said suddenly. He sat up as though the thought was an arrow to him. "And leave this happy place."

"I wish you would not let such depression fall past your lips," Elladan admonished.

"But we have been here many weeks now," Elrohir said, rolling to put his head in Elladan's lap. "And I know soon a letter will arrive ordering us home. And, you know?"

"Hmm?" said Elladan.

"I am not looking forward to it."

Elladan sighed and dropped his hand. "Me neither. Let us enjoy the last weeks of our time here."

"I will be trying," Elrohir said. He yawned. "I feel sleepy after our wrestle. Shall we lie down and take a short snooze? It is not dinner time for a while yet, and my legs could not carry me home without a short rest."

Elladan pushed Elrohir's head off his lap and flopped down beside him. He folded his hands on his chest and stared up at the sky. His hair mingled with Elrohir's, the same tawny color until the singing birds, and the voice of the trees faded into a dream.

Hours later, in the dead of night, when howling wolves had replaced the bird song, and the wind blew cold, bobbing lanterns lit the night, flitting through the trees, as their bearers walked, calling aloud the names of two elflings their hearts knew worry for and were lost.

Elladan awoke with a jerk as a hand shook him and sat up with a start, peering into the relieved and worried eyes of Esrestil.

"Thank the valar!" the warrior exclaimed. He grabbed Elladan by the arm and pulled him off the rock, treating Elrohir to similar treatment. "Valar knows what I would have done if you were lost or dead, or dying! Valar knows what your father would have done to me!"

Elrohir cringed. Esrestil was angry.

"Follow me home," Esrestil ordered, holding the lantern to light his way while the Mirkwood scouts milled around him. "Thranduil and Harune have been worried sick! They will not be happy at all."

Elrohir closed his eyes and breathed out a hard breath through his nose. He and his twin followed Esrestil home.

Thranduil and Harune both descended upon the elflings as soon as Esrestil pushed them through the living room door. Legolas and Landion looked up sleepily from the confines of the sofa, rubbing their eyes.

"Good trees above, I was afraid something had happened to you," Thranduil said, as he and Harune knelt to hug the twins. "After what happened to Legolas, I feared bullies might have beset you."

"Are we—are we to be punished?" Elrohir asked, his head resting on Thranduil's shoulder.

"You deserve it!" Esrestil said from the doorway.

Thranduil glared at him. "I will not stand that kind of tone being used with elflings! No one deserves to be punished over this! We were worried, but that is no reason to lay down punishment."

Elrohir's breath of relief ruffled his hair.

"However, Elladan and Elrohir, I will tell you both to please come home before dark in the future," Thranduil continued. "I am sure there is a reasonable explanation for this time, but we were worried about you. There are wild animals in the forest."

"We will remember," Elrohir assured him. "We fell asleep, tired from our wrestle, and when we awoke . . ."

"Come home to take your naps in the future," Thranduil said, giving his arm a squeeze. "Or it will be the ever vigilant scouts, who need their sleep to, who will get no rest looking for you."

Elrohir's head drooped in shame. "Sorry."

Thranduil patted his hot cheek and stood up. "It is all right, Elrohir. Come up to bed; Galion will bring you some dinner."

Esrestil frowned hard at the twins as they passed, clearly thinking their punishment should be more severe then a short reprimand, but both twins preferred Thranduil's methods to their fathers. They went away with a feeling of guilt and regret, but without the stinging pain in their backsides and the hate in their hearts for their father's cruelty.


	26. Until One Day

Time passed in Mirkwood and, for the twins, it was a blessed time, full of laughter and fun. They all but forgot their troubles in the excitement of their new home, it slipping their minds that the home was only temporary. Frequent thoughts went out to their father and mother, wondering how ada was, and if he was getting better. The days dissolved into days, and the days to weeks, as time flew, leading up to the fated day when a letter arrived from Rivendell as the first chilly drafts of fall blew through the trees.

"Elrond has written to say he is well, and ready for your sunshine to come back and grace his home again," Thranduil said at dinner, holding up the letter in hand as he sat down to dinner.

Elladan and Elrohir stopped their conversation and stared up the table at Thranduil, forks inches from their mouths, frozen in time. The numbers of days they had spent in Mirkwood suddenly caught up with them as the number flashed bright red before their eyes. Time had flown, and the sunshine filled warmth and funny days full of swimming and running, climbing, and cozy evenings by the fire were about to end. But to go home to ada and naneth . . .

"Juriel has said it is best to leave as soon as possible, before snows delay travel," Thranduil said. "Harune will pack your bags for your departure in a few days time."

Elladan put down his fork, his appetite lost. It would be nice to go home and see his family again but all the memories he had shoved down throughout the weeks gone by came rushing back. He thought of the happiness he had known here in Mirkwood.

"Are you not excited to go home?" Harune asked gently.

Elladan fiddled with his fork. "I am . . . but I have enjoyed my time here so much."

"I am sure your parents must miss you," Thranduil said.

"Yes," Elladan mumbled.

Thranduil and Harune exchanged glances down the table.

"I know I would miss ada if I went to live in Rivendell for this long," Legolas volunteered, looking anxiously at Elladan.

"But you have a wonderful home," Elladan said.

Legolas remembered the funny feelings he had felt in Rivendell, wafting around in the air. "Is your home not happy?"

The twins exchanged glances. "It is a good home," Elrohir finally volunteered. "But not as wonderful as yours."

And so the Elrondion twins returned home to Rivendell, feeling a little bit of the sunshine fade from their lives once more. Tears came into their eyes as they looked back, riding away, and saw the royal family of Mirkwood waving to them until the trees blocked them from view.

Bowing their heads to hide the tears in their eyes from the guards, Elladan and Elrohir closed their eyes and wished to come back soon.

The uneventful journey home brought them to the familiar sights of Rivendell. As the horses rode through the valley, past the waving elves glad to see them back, it suddenly occurred to the twins they had, in fact, missed their home more then they had realized until now.

The horses stopped on the stone circle outside Elrond's house, coming up to the top of the hill by a worn path winding its way through the grass. As the guards dismounted, Lindir came down the steps, walking with smooth grace.

The harpist bowed to the twins. "Welcome back."

Elladan and Elrohir smiled. "Thank you, Lindir. Is—is ada all right?"

"Yes, his wounds have healed, and he is recovered though he still needs rest and quiet," Lindir answered. "Come, I will take you to him. He and your mother are most anxious to see you after these many months have gone by."

"We . . . have missed home," Elladan replied truthfully. He left the horses and luggage to the servant's care, and followed Lindir into the familiar halls of his house.

"May I ask if you enjoyed your time away?" Lindir asked.

"We enjoyed it more then you could guess," Elrohir said, his voice soft.

Lindir nodded, and opened the door to the sitting room, gesturing for the twins to enter. As the elflings walked into the room, Elrond looked up from his position on the sofa against the wall, and his eyes brightened.

"Hello, ada," Elladan said.

"How I have missed you," Elrond said, holding out his arms. "Come hug me."

As they embraced, Celebrian came into the room and her face radiated happiness as she smiled. "Elladan! Elrohir! Lindir told me you had arrived. You have grown."

The twins sat down on either side of their father as he held onto their hands, and Celebrian came to stand near.

"Thranduil said to give you this," Elrohir said, and brought the neatly folded letter out his tunic, sealed with red wax.

Elrond took it. "Hannon le, ion nin. I will soon be back to my full strength and life will resume to normal. Ah, how I have missed it!"

"Is the pain gone?" Elrohir asked.

Elrond glanced at him, and ruffled his hair. "Yes, it is. I feel strong and whole again."

Celebrian looked out the window at the cooling air of evening. "Well, you have arrived late. Dinner will be ready; come eat and share with us your experiences of your time in Mirkwood. We are dying to hear all about it."

The regal family of Rivendell made their way out to the dining room, and sat down to a filling meal, giving off the scent of goodness. Pleasant chatter and laughter filled the air, but the shadow had returned to the twins minds; a slight, grey cloud hovering at the edge of their vision as they wondered and worried inside, their hearts contracting and knitting, tied into knots over the agonizing question of when they would know the misery they had run away from again. It was hard to avoid it; it came crashing down on them for many things, including the unexpected.


	27. Archery

Faer, the Rivendell archery master, was a tall elf, with strong muscles and high cheekbones. He handed Elladan and Elrohir each a small longbow suited to their size.

"Your father informed me you have shot before so we will begin at once with the lesson," he said. He walked behind the twins and pointed down the field; a narrow stretch of flat land between two hills, at the targets set up at the end. "You will shoot at the targets, and do your best to hit it."

Elladan and Elrohir nodded, raising the loaded bows and drawing back the strings. Faer sat down upon the great grey rock to their left and watched the tilt of their arms, and the line of their eyes.

"I see you have practiced in Mirkwood," he said.

"Yes, during our time there," Elladan replied, reaching for another arrow from his quiver and eying the target some thirty feet away. "Have you been?"

"My wife was born there," Faer replied. "Now, mind on your work."

Elladan and Elrohir shot until their quivers were empty, and ran to retrieve their arrows. They returned to their end of the field, and resumed shooting.

"May I ask how long this lesson is?" Elladan asked an hour later, watching the sun travel in the sky.

"Four hours," Faer answered. "It takes constant practice and the honing of skills to become a good archer, and those skills must be used on a regular, extended basis."

Elladan and Elrohir both groaned. "Three more hours of this? My arms will not live more then two!"

Faer said, "Over time your arm muscles will build."

Elladan and Elrohir sensed they were not in the position to argue, and resumed their shooting. The weight of the longbow grew upon them like an iron ball attached to their hands, and dragged their arms down. Each move for a new arrow sent burning pain through them.

Time dragged.

"I am hungry," Elladan said, hearing his stomach growl as he turned to look at Faer with a desperate expression, letting his arms drop with a sigh.

"You will be excused in thirty minutes," Faer replied stoically. He gestured to the targets. "Come now, the last few minutes are not to be wasted."

"Oh valar, how I wish I could have stayed in Mirkwood!" Elladan groaned.

"It is a wonder the Mirkwood archers are as good as they are," Faer replied. "The archery masters do not push the abilities of their young as they should, nor teach them for long enough."

"You speak of elflings as though they are nothing but slaves to be trained for the defense of the kingdom!" Elrohir spat. "And that kind of regard for life is low indeed!"

"You raise your voice to me one more time, and I will keep you here for an hour more," Faer warned. "You can explain your misbehavior to your father and bear the consequences."

Elrohir swung back to his target, and imagined Faer's face upon it. Each of his arrows flew straight and true to the visual image of Faer's glinting eyes, and the anger in him fueled his strength, taking away some of the ache from his arms.

"Have you any children?" Elladan asked, hoping a discussion would take his mind off the sheer torture of his arms.

"I will be blessed with a child to love and raise in three months more," answered the elf.

I hope you treat him better then your tone when you spoke to Elrohir implied, Elladan thought. He felt a wave of sadness. But, no; you are one akin to ada's method of elfling-raising. Valar be merciful.

Beside him Elrohir groaned. The longbow in his hands dropped from his numb fingers.

"Ten more minutes, Elrohir," Faer said.

"I cannot draw it back, not one more time," Elrohir whimpered. "My fingers are raw, and they hurt. My arm and back muscles ache all over, and the weight of the bow seems like iron!"

"In the last ten minutes, it is a disgrace to fail," Faer said. "Pick it back up."

"I would rather fail then faint of hunger," Elrohir muttered as he reached down to pick up the horrible piece of wood.

Elladan glanced at his twin. The past four hours had yielded to other similar situations, but the pangs of hunger had never shredded at their patience then. He could feel the fury radiating off Elrohir, and worried at any rash actions he might make.

"Please, I have struggled through the last hours," Elrohir pleaded. "Ten minutes will not make any difference!"

"Ten minutes is a world of difference," Faer said, "Unless you push yourself, you will never make it past your limits and gain strength."

"Admitting to weakness is another way to show strength," Elrohir begged. "Please!"

Faer stepped off the rock and folded his arms over his chest. "As you wish. You may return home."

Elrohir let out a sigh of relief. "Hannon le, hannon le. I will wait for Elladan to be done."

But Faer shook his head, and dragged the elfling to his feet before he could sit down. "No, you will leave your twin to finish his lesson with strength you lack, and explain why you are home early to your father. I will stand on this rock, from which I can see your home, and your father sitting outside. I will know of you try to sneak out of this one."

Elrohir paled, and the blood drained from his face, crashing down into his boots. Suddenly struggling through the last ten minutes seemed so much better then the fate ahead. He opened his mouth but the look in Faer's eyes made it clear his decision was set and no amount of begging would take him back on his word.

Elrohir's shoulders slumped. His feet dragged as he set off for home. A glance behind him proved Faer was indeed standing on the rock as promised.

Faer watched the elfling go. He glanced at Elladan and frowned. Elladan's fists were clenched over the bow, held horizontally before him, in utter silence. His back was to Faer but his shoulders trembled.

"Elladan, do not make me send you home as well," he said. "I thought better of you."

Elladan turned to face him. Silent tears slid down his cheeks. "Send me home. I would rather face Elrond with my twin then leave him to bear Elrond's scolding's on his own."

Faer blinked. He glanced back, and saw Elrohir approach Elrond's chair with his shoulders slumped. The elfling spoke, eyes on the ground, and Elrond stared at him, his peaceful face suddenly turning into a frown. Faer saw Elrond rise from his chair and beckon for Elrohir to follow him into the house, out of the spring sunshine.

"The lesson is over," Faer said.

Elladan collected his and Elrohir's arrows, picked up both longbows, and walked on the path homeward. As he passed Faer, but looked up at the elf and said, as he wiped his eyes, "I would prefer it if you punished us yourself rather then sending us home; nothing you can do will be worst then facing our father's face and confessing our disobedience. It ends not well."

Faer watched the elfling run the rest of the way home. As Elladan disappeared into the white-pillared mansion, he sat down in the shade of the rock on the grass to think. The twins' reactions to being sent home had been most peculiar, even worrying. Elrond would not hurt his own children surely. Perhaps the twins took their father's disappointment and scolding's more to heart then other elflings did.

As Faer sat thinking these thoughts, Elladan entered his home, and tread the passageways to the living room, halting outside the door with hot tears springing into his eyes as he heard the horrible whine of the strap as it hissed through the air, and the dull sound of it smacking Elrohir.

Elrohir stumbled out of the room, pain written across his face and buried in his eyes. He looked at Elladan and fled to his room with a small sob.

Elladan turned and retreated before Elrond came out of the living room and asked him any questions, the answers to which might pit him against his beloved brother.

Elrohir lay on their bed, on the red cover, his face buried in the lavender scented pillow, his broken cries muffled in its depths. Elladan put the longbows and quivers on their hooks by the door, and climbed up next to him, reaching down to brush the hair away from his brother's wet cheeks.

"You will feel better if you talk about it," Elladan said.

Elrohir turned his head to peek up at him. "I-I had almost forgotten how bad it is . . . and how much I hate it. I felt like I was trapped in a nightmare and I could not wake up . . . but I know I am awake, and it is real. I-I hate him."

Elladan sighed. "I know. And it is only a matter of time before it is my turn."

"Do not say that!" Elrohir cried. "I cannot bear to think of him beating you!"

Elladan heard a noise by the door, and his heart sank as Elrond's stern voice said, "Elrohir, how many times must I tell you not to refer to your punishments by that utterly inaccurate term?"

Elrohir swallowed. "Forgive me, ada. I was not thinking."

"See that you do in the future," Elrond said. "Lunch will be served in fifteen minutes. Your mother and I expect you down, cleaned and dressed, at the start of the meal."

"Yes, ada," both twins intoned.

Before Elrond turned and departed, he delivered a last shot. "And watch your tongue, Elrohir. I am tired of hearing you talk as though you are an abused elfling."

Elrohir waited until his father's footsteps were no more before the sobs he had been choking down erupted with a fresh waterfall of tears.

"I hate him," Elladan said bitterly. It was not entirely true, and Elrohir knew it. Both elflings loved their father, and hoped beyond all hope he would change his ways. It was a foolish dream but they clung to it, and tried to keep themselves from becoming bitter, sour fruit by not allowing the hate to take complete control of them.

Elladan slid off the bed and approached the washbasin. "We should change or we will be late down to lunch."

The words were enough to get Elrohir off the bed in a hurry, wiping his eyes as he made for the wardrobe. Both elflings dressed and combed their hair, washing the mud and sweat from their hands and faces before leaving their room to descend to the table.

On the way down, both built up careful shields to hide their clashing emotions, knowing talk would center on their archery lessons that day. How both of them dreaded returning to Faer's instruction the next day, and their small, cut hearts longed for Thranduil until they bled. It was not that they hated the archery lessons; they simply found the hours unfair.


	28. A Journal Entry

Elrohir awoke with a groan. He rolled, expecting to come against Elladan's warm form, and instead groped thin air. He sat up with a jerk and looked for his twin.

Elladan sat at the window seat, his head bowed over the work before him on the wide ledge. Elrohir crawled out from under the blankets, biting back a low cry as his arms and back lit up in pain, and walked across the room.

Elladan's eyes squinted in concentration as he worked on the sketch in front of him, and Elrohir's small whimpers of pain did not do so much as to turn his head. Elrohir peered over his brother's shoulder to look at the drawing, and instant tears welled in his eyes, as well as love in his heart for his brother.

The drawing showed Elrond, careful strokes put into his detailed form, wielding the awful instrument of punishment in one hand, on a battle field surrounded by fallen bodies; shells of the dead. Elrohir lay on the ground a few feet away from Elrond, tumbled back, his face an expression of sheer terror and worry. But Elladan stood between him and his father, clad in gleaming armor, holding a sword and shield.

There were no words on the page but the message was clear. Elladan put down his pencil and looked at Elrohir as though he had known he was there all along. He reached up to wipe the tears on his brother's face away.

"That is the person I long to be," he said, gesturing to the sketch on the open page of a new book. "I wish to be a warrior so I can protect you from ada. I do not care so much about myself. But by the time I am that warrior, it will be too late . . . ada would have laid away the strap forever, as we will be too old. I want to be that person _now_ but I cannot, and I have to live with that pain! It is unbearable."

"Thank you," Elrohir whispered, leaning into Elladan's embrace. "I feel better just knowing. Do not attack him now, muindor nin. He would only put you through an exorcism, and I could no bear seeing you put through that torturous experience."

Elladan closed the book, and made his way back to bed, wincing as his raw arms inflamed. Lest Elrond find the book and demand about the picture, he slid it into the bed, between the mattress and the frame. The bed creaked as he and Elrohir crawled into it, nestled beneath the covers, and fell into an exhausted sleep.

The twins awoke early so as not to be late for breakfast or for another day in the archery fields. After a hasty breakfast, and a hurried goodbye to their parents, Elladan and Elrohir grabbed longbows and quivers, and ran for the archery fields.

Faer stood waiting, leaning against the big rock. He straightened as the twins walked past him.

"We will begin again with your lessons as we did yesterday," he said. "Face your targets and begin. We will continue this lesson until you hit your target twenty four times out of twenty four, and then we will move the targets back ten feet."

Elladan's arms lit up as he reached for an arrow, and the movement of drawing back his longbow caused his muscles to ache. From the look on Elrohir's face he could tell his twin's arms hurt as much as his.

"Your arm strength is building," Faer said. "The pain will fade overtime."

Elladan winced, finding it more then relieving to release the string and let the arrow fly. Beside him, he could see similar emotions running through Elrohir's eyes.

The hour ticked by in familiar ritual. Faer stood behind the twins, and corrected stances, criticizing bad shots and offering helpful hints. As the lessons ground down to the last hour, Faer said, "You may take a short a break before continuing."

"Thank the valar!" Elrohir breathed, and collapsed without another word where he stood.

"Hannon le," Elladan said, twisting to look at Faer as he sat down with his longbow beside him.

"I will tell you when to resume shooting," Faer said. He nodded. "You are welcome. Your aim is improving. Nothing better then constant practice to hone your skills."

Elladan murmured an incoherent reply and turned to his twin. "I do not think I will sleep well tonight."

"I am not worried about rest," Elrohir said. "I am worried my arms will hurt too much to draw!"

Elladan grinned, and pulled Elrohir's hair. "How like you to see the ludicrous side of things!"

"It is not ludicrous!" Elrohir replied hotly. "It is something I love and cherish more then you! You will never hold drawing in as high a regard as I do."

"We are growing older," Elladan replied, tilting his nose into the air. "And as we grow, we grow apart."

"Ha!" said Elrohir. "If that is true, my heart weeps for us." He pulled his hair out of Elladan's fingers.

"But I wonder if it is true though," Elladan said, dropping his haughty air.

"I cannot think why it would be," Elrohir answered. "It is not as if age has anything to do with it."

"I suppose we will find out in another hundred years or so," Elladan said thoughtfully, leaning back on his hands.

"There is not anything to find out," Elrohir said. "If age parts us, it is a sad world we live in. And besides—"

"Break time is over," Faer said, clapping his hands. "On your feet. Let us work your muscles!"

The twins scraped themselves off the ground with rueful expressions, and murmured grumbles of, "It barely lasted ten minutes, and we had to waste the time talking about that!"

* * *

 **I love to find out who some of my silent readers are so I would be thrilled if you decide to leave a short review.  
**

 **Thanks for reading; those known and unknown. I appreciate it.**


	29. A Sick Mother?

"I am glad to know your lessons with Faer go well," Elrond said a week later. "He sent me a note to remark upon how well you have been doing."

"And I am glad to know the pain in my arms has reduced to a dull ache," Elladan replied, rubbing his left arm with a grin.

"It will soon be gone all together," Elrohir said.

"No," said Elladan. "Faer will up the exercise to bring the ache back as soon as it fades. You know he will."

Elrohir returned to his pencils with a depressed expression. The tips were dull, and the pile was separated into dulled pencils, and the sharpened pencils. He held a slender knife in his hand, scraping the edges of the pencil away to form a sharp tip of lead. The shavings gathered before him on a piece of paper to be thrown into the fire.

"It will be time for your book learning to begin soon," Celebrian said from her chair behind Elladan.

"Already?" said Elladan in dismay, twisting to look at his mother.

Celebrian smiled. "Well, I did say soon, you know."

Elladan ran the file across his nails, examining the jagged edges he was smoothing out after cutting them. "How soon do you mean?"

"Well," said Celebrian. Her voice cut off, and Elladan jerked around in time to see his mother slump forward in her chair. His eyes widened.

Elrond sprang from his chair and ran to Celebrian's side, his fingers feeling for her pulse. He let out a sigh of obvious relief when he felt it, and some color seeped back into his paled cheeks. Both twins abandoned their activities to stand beside their mother.

"Is she all right?" Elladan asked.

Elrond opened his mouth to reply, but a low moan stopped him, and he leaned down to help his wife sit up, and lean back into her chair. Celebrian blinked around at her husband and sons.

"The world simply . . . dimmed," she said with a weak smile. She turned her head to sip water from the glass Elrond held to her lips. "I will be all right."

"All the same, I think a trip to the healers would be in order," Elrond said.

Celebrian's hand fluttered through the air. "Do not be ridiculous, Elrond. I am sure there is a perfectly reasonably explanation. It may have been something I ate."

"I find that highly unlikely."

"I consent to be examined, but by you alone," Celebrian said, with a coy smile.

Elrond turned to the twins. "Please take your activities out of this room. Your mother and I need to discuss private matters."

"I hope you feel better," Elrohir said, as he collected his pencils, and the knife. He and Elladan paused in the doorway to look back at Elrond hovering over Celebrain's chair. Their mother blew them a kiss before they closed the door and walked away.

"Do you think it was something she ate?" Elladan asked.

Elrohir shrugged. "I do not know. But I hope she is not sick."

"It will be dinner time in a few minutes," Elladan said, glancing at the grandfather clock they passed in the hall.

"I wish ada had not sent us out of the room," Elrohir grumbled. "She is our mother as well as his wife, and if he cares about her as much as we do, he might let us stay with him."

Elladan trailed his fingers along the wall as he walked. "I suppose that may have been to much to ask."

"I should have asked," Elrohir said.

Elladan glanced at his twin. "Do you want to return to the living room?"

"Yes," said his twin. "I am worried about naneth."

"Me to," said Elladan.

"Elladan! Elrohir!"

The twins turned at their father's voice as it came up the hall, and saw Elrond standing several yards away.

"It is dinnertime," Elrond said.

"Is naneth all right?" Elrohir asked, as he turned around, depositing pencils and knife on a table in the hall to take up to his room after the meal.

"Yes," said Elrond. "She insists to feeling as fine and fit as ever."

"I suppose you must have lost the argument," Elladan answered with a grin as he ran to catch up with Elrond.

"Oh, the battle is not over yet," Elrond admonished. "Now come; Celebrian is waiting at the table."

Elladan and Elrohir slid into their seats at the dinner table, noticing the color had returned to her cheeks as they glanced at their mother. Elrond asked the valar for their blessing upon the table, and picked up the first plate. His fingers were halfway to the platter of meat, when Celebrian suddenly clapped a hand to her mouth and fled from the room.

"Valar preserve us!" Elrond exclaimed. The plate in his hand crashed to the floor and shattered into pieces as he hurled his chair back, and sprinted after his wife.

Elladan and Elrohir followed their father into the hall, hearing sounds of retching coming from the door to the tiled bathroom. The elflings peeked into the room, and saw Celebrian leaning over the sink, heaving. Elrond's hand rubbed her back as he stood beside her.

"The smell of the food—just made me—sick," she gasped, reaching for the pitcher of water to rinse her mouth out with.

Celebrian set down the pitcher, and straightened up, drying off her lips with the towel hanging beside the sink. She turned around and walked to the door. "I will sit down in the living room for a bit; eat dinner without me."

Elrond looked at the twins. "You heard your mother."

"But, ada," Elrohir began.

"No buts," said Elrond.

"I am not hungry," Elrohir said.

"I know you are worried about me," Celebrian said, tousling Elrohir's hair as she passed. "But little elflings need their food."

"I am really not hungry," Elrohir insisted. "Worry has robbed my hunger."

"Elrohir," Elrond said. "Listen to your mother. She is not feeling well, and your disobedience will not help her recover."

"Yes, ada," Elrohir said, retreating into his shell at the firm rebuke. His feet dragged as he and Elladan made their way back to the dining room.

Elladan rested his cheek on his hands and stared at the food on the table as he sank into his seat. The mouthwatering smells had reduced to nothing. He reached for a piece of flatbread and nibbled on it.

Twenty minutes of silence later, Elladan had barely made it halfway through the piece of bread. He pushed his chair back, left the bread on his plate, and made for the door. Elrohir was right behind him.

The twins were astonished to reach the living room, and find all signs of worry gone. Elrond and Celebrian broke apart from their kiss, wide smiles on their faces. Husband and wife knelt down to clasp the hands of their sons, and announce to their confused faces, "We are having a baby!"

Elladan blinked. "You are?"

Celebrian patted her stomach. "Yes. It is growing inside me, Elladan. Soon you will have a new little brother or sister!"

"It cannot be a nice baby if it made you sick," Elladan said doubtfully.

"I was sick when you were growing inside me," Celebrain replied, patting his cheek. "But only for a few short weeks. It is all part of having new life inside you."

The twins exchanged glances before meeting the glowing eyes of their parents. After a moment they shoved aside all doubt, and joined in a warm, group hug.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading. I would love to hear from you.  
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	30. Saying I Love You

Time passed for the twins. As their mother's belly grew with the baby inside her, Elrond turned most of his attention to her. It was peaceful bliss for the twins, meeting with Faer at the archery fields in the mornings, and spending the rest of the day running and drawing, their activities un-ruled by the judge.

And then the baby was born.

Rivendell was full of excitement at the birth of Arwen. Celebrian rested with her new daughter clasped to her bosom in her room, gazing at the sweet, fresh face before her.

Outside in the hallway, the twins pleaded with their father.

"Please may we see her? Naneth was in there with you alone for so long."

"Come in and meet your new sister," Elrond said, opening the door. "Be quiet. The baby is asleep and your mother is tired."

A fire burned in the hearth and the windows were closed to the cold winter air outside. The twins crossed the floor on quiet feet to the side of the big bed. Celebrian sat propped up against pillows piled against the headboard, the blue and white comforter spread over her. Her face was tired but her eyes were shining. She turned her head to smile at the twins.

Celebrian put her finger to her lips, and shifted the blankets as Elladan and Elrohir came closer. Both elflings gazed down at the round pink and white complexion of the baby. Her eyes were closed to them, but soft lashes lay on her cheeks.

"We have named her Arwen," Celebrian said softly.

"Come now, out of the room," Elrond said, placing a hand on either one of his sons' shoulders and escorting them to the door. "You will eat dinner alone tonight. I will come up and tuck you into bed, and I will expect you both to be there."

"May we come back tomorrow and sit with naneth?" Elrohir asked, casting a longing look back at the bed before the door closed.

"We will see how your mother is feeling tomorrow," Elrond said. "Dinner will be on the table for you now so run along."

The twins watched their father enter the bedroom and close the door. It clicked, dismissing both elflings.

Elladan and Elrohir walked to the dining room and sat down to a quiet meal of fried meat and bread. Once the dishes were empty, Elladan slumped forward and rested his cheek on one bent arm. He yawned.

Elrohir looked at him. After a moment he twisted and looked at the clock.

"It is an hour until bed time," he said.

"I slept badly last night," Elladan murmured. "I was worried about naneth."

"Me to," said Elrohir. "I wish ada had let us stay longer. Naneth looked as fresh as the baby."

Elladan dragged himself out of his chair and made for the door, rubbing his eyes. Elrohir followed him. In their bedroom, both elflings changed and collapsed into bed, to pleasant dreams of a smiling mother and a laughing baby.

At the crack of dawn, both twins awoke. Elrohir sat up, shoving his hair out of his eyes and hurling back the blankets.

"I am dying to see Arwen and naneth again!" he said as he slid out of bed.

"The mere glimpse of her yesterday was not enough to satisfy our need to see our new sister," Elladan agreed.

The elflings changed and dashed for the door. Under the exit, the turned and looked back at the unmade bed. The twins exchanged woeful glances before they went to make the bed.

Bed made and a tasteless breakfast choked down, the twins ran for their parents' bedroom door, and bumped into Elrond.

"Good morning, ion nins," Elrond greeted them, ruffling their hair. He frowned. "It does not appear you have combed your locks."

"We will, ada," Elrohir promised. "As soon as we have said good morning to naneth and—"

"No," said Elrond.

"But," Elrohir began, hurt brimming in his eyes.

"Your mother and sister are resting, and cannot be bothered," Elrond said, steering them up the hallway. "They both need absolute quiet and peace. Return to your rooms and comb your hair. Faer will be waiting for you."

"How can you expect us to resume life as if a baby is not something to celebrate?" Elrohir cried, resisting Elrond's arm.

Elrond sighed. "I know this is something new, but it will be some time before you can see your mother. The birth was difficult for her, and tiring. Furthermore, Arwen is small and delicate, and it will be some time before she will be ready for your loud and rough selves."

Elrohir jerked out of Elrond's grasp, swinging around to face him with clenched fists. "I cannot believe you will keep them locked away from us! They are our sister and mother to. We love them as much as you do."

Elrond frowned. "I know you do."

Elrohir turned away, biting back tears, feeling both rejected and insulted. Muttering an excuse, he stalked up the hall.

Elladan slipped out of Elrond's grasp and followed his twin. At the end of the hall he turned and said, "We can be quiet and gentle, ada. We are not barbarians. We do fight and wrestle and tumble, but we would not bring that near our new sister. I am sorry you do not trust us enough to let us see our loved ones."

Before Elrond could respond, Elladan turned and jogged for his room. He found his twin sitting on the window seat, staring out at the valley below.

"I cannot see past the rim of the valley," Elrohir said. "But if I could, I would see all the way to Mirkwood and wish Thranduil were here. The name may suggest otherwise, but I love and miss the forest more then I would ever miss this rotten home."

His voice cracked and he lowered his head. Without looking, Elladan could see the tears coursing down Elrohir's cheeks. He walked to Elrohir's side and put an arm around his twin's shaking shoulders.

"All we wanted was to see Arwen and nana," Elrohir sobbed. "But he turned us away like wild wolves! He does not understand me. We are not allowed to speak our own minds for fear of him punishing us. We not allowed to be ourselves. He keeps us like clay, squishing us to be what he wants! I cannot live this way!"

Elladan offered mute comfort as he rubbed Elrohir's back.

"And now he will not let us see our sister," Elrohir said. He wiped his nose and sat up. "I wish she was not here. She will grow up, and we will have to stand by while he and nana spank her."

Elladan winced. He heard Elrohir draw in a deep breath as he looked out the window and looked up. His eyes widened as he saw Elrond and Celebrian standing on the balcony, their forms visible around the jutting wall to their left. Elrohir craned his neck to see them. His parents were kissing, their arms wrapped around each other, the wind blowing their robes and hair.

"I thought he said she needed rest," Elladan said in indignation.

Elrohir threw a last glance out the window before he slid off the window seat and flung open the door of his room as he bounded across the floor. The elfling peered down the hall before he stepped out of the room, squaring his shoulders. "While ada and nana are engaged, I am going to the bedroom to see Arwen. I have to see her, just for a minute. She looked like a delicate flower; irresistible."

"But ada might catch us," Elladan said.

"He is with naneth," Elrohir said. "I will be quick. I want only one peek more, so I can say "I love you" for the first time. I will not be denied that."

Elladan hesitated before he stepped forward. "Well, you will not enter into peril on your own. I come with you."

The twins dashed, aware of passing time, to their parent's room. The door was cracked. Elladan paused with his hand on the doorknob, his ears pricked up for any noises or signs of danger before he slipped into the room with Elrohir behind him. Leaving the door cracked, they crossed the room and stood on either side of the bed, looking at the bundle in the middle of the sheet.

Baby Arwen still slept, her sweet face turned up to her brothers, clear eyes unblinking.

Elrohir reached out a hand to gently brush her soft skin, a smile coming to his lips at the caress. Elladan's hand jerked back from Arwen's cheek as he heard footsteps, and his eyes lit up with fear.

"Ada and naneth," he whimpered.

"Hide!" Elrohir hissed. "Quick, under the bed!"

But the door opened as the twins stooped to dive under the bed, and both elflings snapped upright rigidly. Elrond stopped short in the doorway, his face paling, and Celebrian gasped.

"What were you doing?" he cried.

At the sound of Elrond's voice, Arwen awoke and wailed. Celebrian ran to comfort the baby and Elrond grabbed his sons by the arms, marching them from the room. Celebrian rocked Arwen in her arms, singing softly to calm her.

"You could have hurt her!" Elrond cried. "I told you she is delicate. Worst, even, you could have killed her! What were you thinking?"

"We were gentle and quiet, ada," Elladan protested. "She slept until your voice woke her."

"Do not speak back me!" Elrond said. "You disobeyed my wishes and endangered the life of your baby sister! What is more, you should be in the archery fields!"

"We will go," Elrohir said, twisting against Elrond's grasp. "We will go now."

"You will," Elrond said grimly. "And you will explain why you are late. But first you need to understand my word is the law. You seem to have a habit of forgetting."

Holding tight to both boys, Elrond marched the twins into the family living room. He released them by the easy chair and walked to the bookcase.

Elrohir glanced at the door, his hands clenching handfuls of his tunic to keep them from shaking.

"Ada, please," Elladan pleaded as his father took down the strap and came toward him. "If you had let us see her with you there this would not have happened. We do not like to sneak and disobey you, but you forced our decision when you refused to let us see our baby sister. We only wanted to say I love you."

"You knew what you were doing was wrong," Elrond said. "And there is no excuse for your actions. Do not blame your disobedience on me!"

Elladan swallowed as Elrond took Elrohir by the arm and raised the strap. Elrohir trembled like a leaf in the wind, his eyes burning with fear and hate.

And then he exploded.


	31. Saying I Hate You

The lash struck him, and Elrohir struggled against Elrond's grasp as the pain spread across his behind. His teeth bit into Elrond's hand and, as his father yelped and released him, Elrohir stumbled back.

"I hate you!" Elrohir screamed. "You are a cruel liar! You do not love us!"

Elrond's eyes flashed, and he grabbed for Elrohir but Elrohir snarled. "Stay away from me, you monster!"

"Elrohir, you behave yourself," Elrond warned. "Watch your tone and your anger. Now come here."

"No! I am tired of walking to your beatings!"

"You deserve this, Elrohir!" Elrond cried, lunging for his son. "It is not a beating; it is a punishment to teach you to obey me!"

"Lies!" Elrohir cried, fleeing toward the door. As he passed under the archway, Elrond's hand fastened over his arm and dragged him back.

"No!" Elrohir howled.

"Elrohir, if you do not watch it, I will tan your hide off you," Elrond said through gritted teeth as he dragged Elrohir back to the center of the room.

Elrohir choked on his sobs. "You are nothing but a filthy liar and a cursed child abuser! I hate you! You are no father of mine! And I wish Arwen had never been born! You will treat her with the same wickedness, and drive the beauty out of her! I hate you! And naneth!"

Elrond's slap landed on his face, spreading pain. "If you talk about the ones you have loved you, given you food, and a roof over your head, like that again, I will thrash you so hard, you will never cross me again! Do you understand?"

"Let him go, ada," Elladan said, his voice holding steady.

Elrond turned to face him. "You will receive your punishment after I am done with your insolent brother!"

"No, ada," Elladan said. "Let him go. I betrayed Elrohir when said I believed your way of discipline right, the night before you forced him through an exorcism. I will not lie again. I do not believe it is right. I think it is cruel and wrong, and—and I cannot understand how you claim to love us while you dole out this kind of brutal punishment! If you do love us, we stopped feeling it long ago. There are many other ways of discipline, and they do not involve violence."

"I begin to think another exorcism will help you both!" Elrond said, raising the strap as he struggled to hold Elrohir, gripping him tightly around the waist.

Elrohir's eyes went wild. "NO!"

"If you listened to me, you would not put yourself in situation where I have to punish you," Elrond said. "It brings me no joy to have to do this to you for I love you both so much. I hate having to hit you, but I have to, for your own good, so you may grow into good people."

Elrohir's struggling body went limp, and he sobbed, realizing agreement was futile. Elrond believed the great lie, and would continue to do so until death claimed him. His tears dripped to the floor and splashed onto the carpet as Elrond applied the fiery strokes of the strap to his buttocks.

Elladan's hands curled into fists, and he wished he were bigger—stronger—more powerful. His heart tied itself into knots as he watched through blurry eyes his father punish his twin. Elrond turned to him next and left him as sore as Elrohir before he stalked from the room.

Elrohir lay on the floor, his face pressed to the carpet, and sobbed. He choked on his breath as Elrond said from the doorway, "Stop acting like a spoilt baby, Elrohir. You will miss your archery lessons altogether if you lie there much longer."

Elrohir dragged himself to his feet and wiped his nose. He swallowed over the lump in his throat. "Yes, ada. We—we will leave now."

Elladan picked himself up and took Elrohir's hand. He felt Elrohir shaking the entire long walk back to their room. As soon as the door closed, Elrohir tore his hand away from Elladan's and crossed to his chest of drawers. He grabbed handfuls of clothing and stuffed them into a leather bag, shoving his sketchpads and pencils into it.

"What are you doing?" Elladan asked, his voice frightened.

Elrohir turned to look at him. "I am leaving. I-I am going to Mirkwood. I-I cannot go to Lothlorien. Galadriel and Celeborn would send us right back; they are like ada and naneth, and they have spanked us before. I-I will not stay here another day. After what ada did to me, I cannot lie here, and I am done trying."

Tears slid down his cheeks, his heart as broken as his shaking voice. "I-I do not care what ada does to me if he catches me. He can beat me as much as he likes. But if he does catch me, I would plunge a knife into my heart and leave the torture of this life behind then live with him a second longer."

Elladan met Elrohir's eyes. "Well, you will not run away alone. I will not stay here without you. It is hard for me to, Elrohir. After today, I am ready to leave. I do not care where we go as long as it is somewhere safe from ada and naneth."

"Thank you," Elrohir said, tears filling his eyes as he came to bury his face in Elladan's chest.

Elladan packed his bag, digging up the warm, fur lined winter clothes in the bottom draw. He collected his pencils and sketchpad, and sat down to wrap himself in his winter cloak and fur-lined boots, tying up his hair.

"We will sneak down to the stables and take two horses," he said. "We can leave the valley unnoticed in the snowstorm coming." He looked at the grey clouds gathering in the sky.

"I have a map," Elrohir said.

"Why?" Elladan asked, looking up.

"I-I have been thinking about this for a while," Elrohir admitted. "But today's events sealed my decision. I-I keep hoping ada will change and stop hurting us, but he keeps plowing on. We cannot run to Lothlorien, but we can beg Thranduil to help us. I-I do not know how he disciplines, but at least we do not know if he spanks or not. I know naneth's parents do. Thranduil is our only hope, and I miss him."

Elladan picked up his bag and peeked out the door into the empty hallway. "Come on. We have little time. We will wait for the snow to thicken before we leave. We should take some provisions from the larder."

"I am scared," Elrohir whimpered.

Elladan turned to embrace him. "I am to. I am terrified. But . . . I will be here to protect you. It will be easier to shoot a wolf with my bow then it is to drag ada away from you when he has the strap out."

He reached up, and took his bow and quiver off the wall, handing Elrohir his. The twins looked into each other's eyes, firm with resolve, and nodded before they stepped out into the hall, and took the first steps toward freedom.

* * *

 **We are about to embark on the great arc of the story. Elladan and Elrohir have made a final decision and decided to take matters into their own hands. Will they survive their journey to Mirkwood and, if they do, will Thranduil help them?  
**

 **Thanks for reading; I would love to hear from you.**


	32. Saying Always

The snow swirled, biting their eyelashes and making it hard to see. The twins squinted, clinging to the reins of their horses as the animals pressed forward into the evil wind, taking slow step after slow step up the steep crags of the Misty Mountains.

Elladan's teeth chattered, and his hands felt numb. The ground directly beneath his mount's hooves was a mere dim shadow, and he hoped the horse would not stumble off the edge of a cliff in the blinding blizzard. His twin was a shadow to his left, hunched over on his horse, shivering as much as Elladan.

The storm had worsened after they had left Rivendell, turning from a shower of snow to a thick, whirling blizzard. Elladan took hope in it despite the cold, hoping it would cover their tracks and prevent their father or the Rivendell trackers led by Glorfindel from finding them.

They could not go back now, no matter how hard the journey became.

The elflings lost all sense of time. The snow hid any signs of darkness from their sight, a white mass all around them. Only the drooping of their heavy eyelids hinted many hours had passed since they had left the meager shelter of the mountain cave and set out into the storm.

Elladan could not speak for the wind stole his voice. The snow scratched at his face, and blew freezing handfuls of the powdery substance under his cloak and down his neck, no matter how tightly he wrapped the folds.

The horses stumbled and lurched. Elladan blinked as the snow disappeared. His horse sank to its knees in the deep crevice in the rock and snorted, steam rolling from its nostrils.

Elladan fell to the ground, to numb from cold to control his stiff limbs. He lay in the cold; glad the whirling snow was gone. He grew warm without the winds leeching the warmth from his body, and crawled to his hands and knees.

"Elrohir?" he croaked coughing. "Brother?"

"Here," Elrohir whispered, his voice hoarse. The twins met between their two horses and collapsed in a trembling hug.

"I am frightened," Elrohir murmured. "I do not know how much longer I can do this for. How many days have we traveled?"

Elladan shrugged. "I stopped counting after five."

Elrohir shivered. "So cold . . ."

"There is not a branch to burn," Elladan replied. "And, even if there were, the blizzard would not allow us to find it."

"It must be the middle of the night," Elrohir mumbled.

"It is hard to tell; I cannot see the stars."

Elladan shook the snow out of his clothes, his brow dipping in worry at the shivers wracking his twin's body. Elrohir trembled against him, clinging to him for his warmth. The past days had not been easy for Elrohir, and he needed warmth.

Elladan pushed his twin back against one of the loyal horses and untied the bows and quivers of arrows from their fastenings. The bows were made of strong wood, as were the arrows, and both would burn. He held his bow, looking down at it for the last time, before he snapped it across his knee. Elrohir's ears pricked up.

"We might need them," he protested weakly. "What if wolves come?"

"We both need fire more then we need the bows," Elladan answered, pulling his twin closer to the blaze as he lit the arrow shafts with flint and steel. "In this blizzard, we will not run into any danger."

"But goblins," Elrohir murmured, hunching near the flames.

"We will stay and rest a few hours," Elladan said. "But because of the goblins, we must cross the mountain in the blizzard, when orcs and goblins will be in their caves. If we are not on the other side by the time the storm ends, we will be in danger."

Elrohir looked up at him, the blueness in his lips fought back by the fire. He saw the weariness in Elladan's eyes and knew his twin was as weary as he.

"I am sorry I am making it so hard for you," he said.

Elladan tossed the thicker limbs from the broken bows onto the blaze. He patted Elrohir's hand. "We are brothers, Elrohir. We look after each other, no apologies given. We will make it to Mirkwood."

"We have to," Elrohir said, his eyes staring at the fire without seeing it. "We cannot return to father. He and naneth will be enraged, and we will be punished . . . I would rather die out here then return to Rivendell. Mirkwood is the only place we will be _safe_." His voice craved the word.

Elladan stabbed an arrow through two chunks of meat, and set it over the fire. As it roasted, the smell awakened every hungry part of his sore body. He licked his lips and waited for it to cook. He and Elrohir tore at the meat, shredding and wolfing it down as soon as it was cooked.

Elladan lay down by the fire as soon as he swallowed the last bite and said, "Sleep. You will need all the sleep you can get. We will leave in an hour."

Elrohir came to snuggle against him, sharing his body heat. "You are so much stronger then me . . ."

"No," said Elladan. "I am not. You are stronger inside then me, Elrohir. You have lived through torments I could not have born."

Elrohir shuddered, knowing Elladan meant the exorcism.

"I betrayed you when I lied to ada and naneth and said I believed their ways of discipline were right," Elladan said. "I was frightened at the thought of the exorcism. But after I saw how it changed you, Elrohir, I cursed myself for my actions; for lying. This is my way of making it up to you."

Elrohir nodded his tired head, his eyes dropping shut. "I do understand, Elladan. But I could not have lived through it without you there. You were there for me when I needed you . . ."

"Always," Elladan answered. "Always . . ."

* * *

 **Earthdragon: The twins were bound to run eventually; they were bound to reach an end eventually. Thanks for reading and sharing your guesses on what Thranduil will do when and if the twins arrive at Mirkwood.**

 **If you are reading this, I am saying thank you.  
**

 **Next Chapter: It all comes down to reaching the green streak on the horizon for Elladan and Elrohir!**


	33. Preserve Us

Elrohir pulled his cloak tighter to him as he sat in the shelter of a hill, watching the hungry horses chewing at the dead grass on the plains. He looked back at the snow-covered Misty Mountains behind them. The blizzard had ended as the horses stumbled down the last steep slop, and met the open plains.

Elladan pressed his hand, smiling through the bones of his cheeks showed and his eyes were haggard. Elrohir turned his eyes to the green streak on the horizon, despair seeping across him.

"It is so far away," he moaned.

"And Rivendell is so far behind us," Elladan said. "We will reach Mirkwood in a week or so."

Elrohir let out a sigh and nodded. "Yes, and for that I am grateful. But the horses are so worn and hungry, and the grass is so short and dead . . ."

"We will be fine," Elladan assured him.

The twins sat and regained their little strength until Elladan rose to his feet, and captured the reins of the horses. He handed one set to Elrohir, and pulled himself onto his mount, feeling the horse grunt at his weight.

"I hate to make them suffer," Elrohir said. "They are as weak as we are."

Elladan said nothing. The horses set off a slow trot, heading toward the green streak on the horizon. Sanctuary. Warmth. Food. Safety. It meant something different to each twin but one thing they both saw it as was protection.

The horses walked faithfully on into the day, stopping every hour for a short break as their tired riders ate bread and tried to stay awake. Their eyelids felt like bricks.

Elrohir and Elladan were slumped on their horses as the animals trod on, half-asleep. Elrohir sat up as he saw a streak in the corner of his eyes, and screamed, fear jolting him to his senses. His scream jerked Elladan upright.

Elrohir's horse reared, neighing as a wolf darted out of the hills and lunged at its neck, flinging Elrohir from its back. Elrohir landed against a frozen hill, dazed. He cringed back as three more wolves appeared, snarling, on the plains. Their ribs showed under their fur, displaying their hunger for meat. His horse ran, and Elladan's flung the elfling from its back, its eyes rolling as it found its strength and fled, the wolves snapping at its heels.

Elladan scrambled to his twin's side, and lay still, his eyes following the wolves as they pursued the horses across the plains and out of sight. He let out a heavy sigh of relief.

Elrohir turned to him, his eyes wide. "Elladan, our food is gone. And so are the horses. Everything is gone."

"Not everything," Elladan said. "We still have our lives. If the horses had not fled, the wolves would have eaten us."

"We will never make it to Mirkwood now," Elrohir wailed.

Elladan stood up. "We have to try, Elrohir. We have eaten more then usual today. Our strength will last us a while yet."

Elrohir dragged himself to his feet, seeing the defeated slump in Elladan's shoulders. He reached for Elladan's hand and met his eyes with a smile that did little to reach his eyes. "Come. We have no time to waste. If the wolves return, our journey will end in their stomachs."

The wind whipped hair and the cloaks of the small, defenseless figures as the twins set off at a steady walk, their eyes ever on the green streak though it dipped out of sight as they walked down hills. They drew their strength from it, struggling to ward off the despair creeping across their hearts like frost.

Elladan and Elrohir walked until their strength gave out and their knees collapsed under them.

"S-so-so cold," Elladan chattered.

Elrohir blinked, the green streak on the horizon blurring. He could not tell how near or far it was, and, truth be told, he did not want to know.

"The wood here is frozen and will not burn well or light easily," Elrohir said.

Elladan pulled the folds of the map from inside his tunic, and scrunched it into a tight ball. "Give me sticks from around us. We do not need this any more."

Hunched over the fire to soak in the warmth, and to protect the small flames from the wind, the twins sat close to the small blaze, feeding it branches felled from the few sparse trees they sat under.

The green streak on the horizon fed them hope where otherwise they might have had none.

As the fire died, the elflings stumbled to numb legs and walked on. Their strength ebbed, bringing them to their hands and knees. Dragging themselves against the ache of defeat and the scream of evil triumph in their heads, the twins crawled, half-asleep in their daze but unwilling to give up.

* * *

Elrond paced, his hands behind his back, frequently looking out the window at the whirling snow. Glorfindel and his team of scouts had been gone hours now.

Arwen whimpered in Celebrian's arms as she rocked, as if sensing her parents' distress and anguish.

"Oh, Elrond, in the middle of this blizzard, Elladan and Elrohir's lives could be in danger," Celebrian said, her eyes pools of pain and worry. "It is so cold out."

Elrond came to press his hand over his wife's. He jerked up as he heard loud boots on the marble hall, and the door to the living room burst open. Glorfindel strode in, taking off his frosted gloves, and pushing back the snowy hood of his cloak.

The elf lord's flushed face appeared, his ears and cheeks rosy. As Elrond and Celebrian looked at him in apprehension, Glorfindel slowly shook his head.

"Oh, valar, preserve us," Celebrian murmured as though a sure bolt had struck her heart.

"Keep looking!" Elrond ordered.

Glorfindel shook his head. "I am sorry, my lord, but there is nothing we can do in this storm. The best chance we have is to allow the storm to die down and then look for them."

Elrond grabbed Glorfindel by the top of his cloak. "Have you lost your mind? My young sons are out in that freezing nightmare! They could die of cold and hunger! The storm will wipe away all traces; you must keep searching!"

Glorfindel jerked back, and a sudden chill entered the air as he spoke, his eyes hardening. "I will not abuse my men by forcing them to struggle through fierce gales and blinding snow. It is impossible to see, much less to be heard. I will not follow your orders, but I am sorry the twins are missing."

"They must be so frightened," Celebrian murmured.

Glorfindel looked at her. "Yes, but of what? I do not think it is the storm or the cold they fear. I think it is something much worst."

Elrond's eyes demanded an explanation, but the elf lord gave a short bow and whirled to leave the room. Elrond turned to his wife and shrugged, before he resumed his pacing, his heart a tight ache in his chest.


	34. Distant Light

"My lord, if you will come down to the healing wing, you are needed," Hyrondal said, appearing at the doorway of Thranduil's bedchamber.

Thranduil saw the urgency in the elf captain's eyes. Pushing back his chair, he rose to his feet. At the other end of the chess board between them, Legolas hopped up.

"Will we finish the game later, ada? Is someone hurt?"

"We will finish later," Thranduil promised. He looked at Hyrondal for the answer to the last question.

The elf's yellow eyes seemed to consider what he knew before he nodded. "Yes, and the injuries seem to be more then physical."

Thranduil's feet sprang into action, hurrying to the healing wing with Legolas behind him. Hyrondal departed to return to his post.

Healer Jailil met his king outside the door to one of the intensive care chambers, his eyes worried, and his white robes swirling in anger.

"It is unbelievable," he said. "Truly unthinkable, but their condition leads me to believe Rivendell may be at war!"

"What?" Thranduil demanded. Without waiting for an answer, he brushed past the elf, and strode into the healing wing. He stopped short, almost tripping on the hem of his robe, and his hand went to his mouth.

Though Thranduil had not seen the elflings in little more then a year, he recognized them, despite their filthy appearance. Briars and leaves clung to their hair, mud stained their face, hands, and clothes. At the sound of his voice, the elflings turned, their pale faces thin with hunger, and tears tracking paths through the mud on their cheeks. Their eyes bled with confusion and pain. Elladan and Elrohir shivered, despite being wrapped tight in blankets and set close to the roaring fire in the hearth.

"Elladan?" Thranduil gasped. "Elrohir?"

The twins tried to rise but stumbled and fell, whimpering in pain. Thranduil dropped down beside them, and drew the elflings into the warmth of his embrace, wrapping the folds of his silk mantel around them.

"What has happened?" Thranduil asked gently as their bodies stopped quavering. "Why are you here?"

"We ran away," Elrohir murmured faintly.

"Why?" Thranduil asked in shock.

"Ada," said the elfling, his voice hoarse. "H-he whip-whipped us for being with our new b-bay sister with-without his per-permission. He pun-punished us for being who we were. He beat us for being late to dinner. We could not live—we could not live—" His voice broke off into a choked sob, and he hid his face in Thranduil's chest.

Thranduil stroked his dirty hair, feeling no silky softness but knowing it would calm the elfling. He wanted to ask for more details, but knew it would upset the twins. He held himself back.

Legolas came from the doorway and sat down beside Elladan. He slid his hand into Elladan's trembling one, leaning against his father. He was reminded of Lord Katar's abuse, and because of it he understood and knew the twins' grief.

Elrohir's sobs subsided, and his eyelids dropped shut in exhaustion. His broken breaths grew even as he slumped into Thranduil's embrace and slept.

Healer Jailil came to help Thranduil carry the twins to the wide bed in the room, and tuck them into it, his silence speaking of the same warring emotions Thranduil felt.

The elven king sat with the twins, oblivious to time, knowing they needed him.

Thranduil sat beside Elladan, stroking the boy's pale face. Elladan slept, snuggled beside his twin, the warm woolen blankets pulled up to his chin. One hand clutched Thranduil's in a desperate plea for him to stay, and Thranduil had no intentions of leaving.

He could not help feeling anger toward Elrond for hurting his sons; abusing them as their broken hearts and bruises seemed to say. How could he have missed the signs when the twins were with him in Mirkwood? How? His heart burned with fury at the thought that the twins had been so unhappy they had been forced to flee their home in the dead of winter. And that no one in Rivendell could protect them from their father . . . it spoke boldly of the state the of the elven sanctuary.

As if sensing his negative feelings, Elladan whimpered and moaned in his sleep. Thranduil turned his thoughts away from Elrond, and leaned down to brush his forehead with a reassuring kiss. The details would come when the twins were ready to share them. Until then, he would have to put his mind to pure speculation and wonder.

* * *

"Daerada?" Legolas said, his voice quiet.

Harune shifted beside him in the big bed. The embers of the fire glowed in the dark.

"What is it, Legolas?" Harune asked, his voice sleepy. He reached for his dressing gown, and nudged Landion over as he stepped out of bed, careful not to let the cold air under the covers. He crossed the room to build up the fire.

"Is Elrond like Lord Katar?" Legolas asked in a small voice.

The fire caught hold of the logs Harune placed on it and roared up, casting red shadows over the room. Harune came back to bed, and slid under the covers, pulling Landion against him.

"You met Elrond when you travelled to Rivendell," Harune said. "What do you think?"

"I felt bad vibes around him," Legolas said. "But they were not the same hateful ones Lord Katar vibrated . . . it was confusing because his way of snapping and talking to the twins felt . . . wrong somehow."

Harune smiled wistfully. "Well, we will know no more until the twins awaken. They will be hungry and scared. They will need love, and they will not want to talk about what their father has done to them."

"I know," said Legolas, scrambling over Harune so he could snuggle against his free side. "When I ran from Lord Katar, I arrived here in a similar state, though I had some broken bones. I was scared and confused, but ada's love helped through the difficult times. I hope—I hope he does the same for them."

Harune slid an arm under Legolas's head. "I hope so to, Legolas. I hope so to."

As he fell asleep, he wondered why the twins had said nothing about their unhappiness and pain during their stay in Mirkwood. The whole scene seemed off, tainted by a sickly yellow light obscuring the real picture.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Interesting speculation on the twins teaming up the next time Elrond makes an attempt to "punish" them. It is sad so many people in ages gone by (and still a few now) actually use the belt or a cane to punish their children. With Thranduil's help, hopefully the twins will not be caught under the painful blows for much longer though. Smiles.**

 **As for Glorfindel, his thoughts are his own and expressed with great discretion. Thanks for taking the time to leave your thoughts; I appreciate it.**

 **To all other Readers: Thanks for reading.**


	35. Do You?

Elladan opened his eyes, his stomach lurching in fear. He swallowed and tried to control himself, unable to understand why he felt this way. The sick feeling faded from within him as his fingers felt Thranduil's warm hand. A feeling of safety settled over him as he saw Thranduil asleep next to him. Yes, he was in Mirkwood—with Elrohir—and ada—ada was far away, where he could not hurt them.

Loneliness penetrated the elfling's heart, followed by grief. Elladan loved his father and longed for his hugs and kisses. He wish with all his heart for one word of praise or encouragement; something from his parents to show Elladan that they understood he enjoyed drawing and playing and needed the space to do so in order to live a happy, healthy life. But Elrond met his dreams with coldness, crushing him to shape a vision of perfection Elladan had not been born to live.

A few tears slipped down Elladan's cheeks. How he wished ada and naneth would love him back. Elladan wiped his running nose, sighing softly as he thought of Legolas.

Legolas was lucky; he had a fine home _and_ a kind, understanding ada. An ada who did not inflict painful punishments, an ada who cuddled and sang and laughed. An ada who played and worked and cared. Everything Elrond was not. Everything Elrond would not even try to be.

Elladan felt Elrohir shift against him. The fire in the hearth glowed, dancing merrily. He was warm and safe. But all he wanted was Elrond. He was starved for his love, his aching heart begging for a part of Elrond to be uncovered. But his hunger only ever grew.

At the thought of hunger, Elladan became aware of the ache in his stomach and realized with a start he had not eaten in days. Elladan rolled over and tugged on Thranduil's sleeve.

Thranduil's eyes swam into focus. The elven king yawned and stretched in his chair before he turned to look at Elladan, running a hand over his damp cheek.

"May I have something to eat?" Elladan asked. "I cannot remember the last meal I ate . . ."

Thranduil heaved himself out of his chair and reached for the long rope hanging from the ceiling, yanking down on the tassel.

"One of the healers will bring you a bowl of hot soup in a few minutes," he said.

"Hannon le," Elladan said quietly, flopping back against the pillows as Thranduil piled them against the headboard. The elf sat down beside him, holding his hand.

Elladan picked at the threads of his blanket. "Where is Legolas?"

"Sleeping with Harune," Thranduil answered. "You have slept for three days now, Elladan."

Elladan looked down at his hands. "I-I-it was so cold and tiring. It-it was more then once I thought hope was lost, and we would never—never reach you. Wolves chased the horses away when we were so close to Mirkwood. It was not easy looking at the green streak and wondering if we would survive to make it there . . ."

Thranduil brushed the strands of hair off Elladan's face. "I know the journey must have been long and hard, but you are safe now, and the horrors are behind you now. Why have you come to me?"

Elladan bit his lip. He looked at his twin, his dark hair spread out on the covers behind him as he slept, buried in a cocoon of blankets. "It—it was harder for Elrohir. The exorcism changed him; hurt him inside . . ."

Thranduil frowned. "What exorcism?"

Elladan met Thranduil's eyes. "There is a lot you do not know. We—we will tell you later. Half the tale belongs to Elrohir, and I cannot tell it without him. We both share the pain and torment . . . and I am too hungry to talk much more."

The door to the room opened and two elves, their white robes swirling as they brushed over the floor, entered, carrying trays of steaming food. The smell awakened Elrohir, who sat up rubbing his eyes.

Elrohir gave Thranduil a weak smile, and took the tray of food settled over his knees. Still shaking off the sleep, he wolfed down the bread and hot soup, not caring if it scalded his tongue. For several minutes the only sounds in the room was the noise of him and Elladan eating.

It hurt Thranduil's heart to see the twins so starved for food. For a moment, his mind traveled back to Legolas lying in the healing ward, his bruises so dark on his face, and his eyes and soul frightened and hurt. He looked at the twins and saw similar symptoms.

Elladan and Elrohir slurped down the last drops of food, and let the healers take away the trays. They leaned back against their pillows, and stared at him.

"I need you to tell me what happened that drove you from your home," Thranduil said. "I cannot help you on half details."

The twins winced as one. Elrohir turned his eyes to the ceiling as he dropped his head flat.

"Elrond's," he said, "method of discipline is fixed on one firm idea, but it is a way we cannot live by. He punishes us by spanking us with a strap. He and nana used to use their hands when we were little."

His voice stayed firm, covered with coldness that blanketed his hurt feelings. "He keeps it in the living room on the top of the bookcase. And whenever we disobey him or we are late to dinner, or we fight and refuse to share with each other, he takes it down and spanks us."

"When Elrohir voiced his feelings and asked Elrond to find another way of disciplining us, Elrond put him through an exorcism, convinced he was possessed by demons," Elladan said. He squeezed Elrohir's hand. "It hurt him inside."

"We—we ran away after our sister was born," Elrohir said. "They would not let us see her the next day to say 'good morning' and 'I love you'. I-I w-went down anyway, and when they caught us, Elrond took us to punish us for endangering her l-life and al-almost killing her . . . I-I could not live with him or naneth. It was too hard listening to them lie and say they loved us, but spanking us and proving themselves wrong. They said they did it out of their love so we would not grow into bad people, but I could pretend to see any truth it in, and it was hard to keep my mouth shut.

"I could not be myself, Thranduil! I could not say anything that did not agree with them! I could not contradict or speak back. I had to myself bottled up inside and be punished when I exploded! It was horrible!"

As hot tears coursed down Elrohir's cheeks, Thranduil left his seat to sit between the twins. He reached to hug the elfling and he fell into his embrace and sobbed.

"I do not blame you for running away," Thranduil said. "But I am sorry you had to flee from your own home."

Elladan shook his head. "We were sorry at first. But we have nothing to be sorry about. Elrond is the one who should be sorry but is not."

Thranduil opened his arms to Elladan and let the elfling burrow into his arms. "I understand. It was brave thing to do to run away in the heart of winter, and cross dangerous lands."

"It was the only door left," Elladan said. "We are not brave, Thranduil. We fled more out of desperation then out of courage and bravery. We cannot fight back against an elf twice our size and strength. We have tried, and it ends at the end of a strap."

Thranduil stroked his dirty hair.

"We have to you for protection," Elladan said. "Please do not send us back to Elrond or let him take us. You are the only one who can stand in Elrond's way. Galadriel and Celeborn are like ada and naneth. We have stayed with them before. They spanked us for leaving bed at night and teasing the guards. They would thrash us and hand us over to Elrond, and he would spank us again! You are—you are the only one . . ."

"I would not dream of letting Elrond take you," Thranduil said, his voice firm. "I refused to let Lord Katar take Legolas when he came to me for protection, and I will not allow Elrond to take you, no matter how his twisted view of discipline!"

Elrohir's sobs had subsided.

"Thranduil," he said in a low voice. "We-we have wondered but we do not know . . . do you—do you spank with a strap?"

"No, Elrohir. I do not hit the ones I love and call it discipline."

Elrohir's face was hidden as he asked, "Do you—do you spank with anything else? Or with your hand?"

Thranduil pulled him back and looked down into the elfling's scared eyes. "No, Elrohir. I do not think it is right. Hitting children in the name of love and discipline rules them by fear, and fear is a bad master."

"But then how do you—how do you—I mean, how do you make Legolas behave . . .?"

A mischievous glint entered Thranduil's eyes. "An hour scrubbing a smelly horse stall spotless is usually motivation enough to ensure Legolas will remember what ever it is I have told him for a short time at least! But a gentle reminder or short scolding is all he needs in most cases. I do not like to punish him, Elrohir, and I do not have to much."

Elrohir wiped his eyes and nose. "You do not know how good cleaning a horse stall sounds. I would give anything to take an hour of hard work over seconds of spanking."

Thranduil smiled and leaned down to kiss him, his smile sad. "I do know how you feel, Elrohir. And now I want you both to sleep. You have struggled through much on your journey through the cold, and you will not recover in seconds. I will not leave you."

"I feel better already," Elrohir said, his eyes lighting up with a smile as he looked at his twin. "I feel as though the shadow is far, far away."

He clasped Elladan's hand over Thranduil's chest as the elf king cuddled both of the elflings to his side and found pleasant dreams at last.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: As you can see, Thranduil will do everything he can for the twins and hope for the best outcome. The last thing he would do is send the twins back to their father. He will do his best to navigate the trickery situation.**

 **Thanks for reading; I love hearing from my readers.**


	36. Jealousy

Elladan looked up from his pillows as Legolas and Landion slipped into the room.

"Hello," said Legolas, coming to the side of the bed and looking down at him. "Ada said to say good morning. He left while you were asleep; he has work to do in he office. Harune is bringing up breakfast in half an hour. Are you hungry?"

"Yes," said Elladan. "But for more then food." He fiddled with the blankets.

Legolas sat down next to him with sympathetic eyes. "I know you feel. I-I felt torn and broken inside when I was with Lord Katar."

"Who _is_ Lord Katar?" Elrohir asked, looking up from his side of the bed. "We have heard about him but you have not told us how he hurt you."

Legolas looked down at his hands. "You have lived through something similar to what I have with Lord Katar. It is time you knew."

He cleared his throat. "Lord Katar was my adoptive father. Ada gave me to him when I was born, because he wished not to become the father his father was. Lord Katar—Lord Katar abused me in many more ways then Elrond has hurt you but I know your pain is still great. Lord Katar . . . he used to beat me . . . and break my bones . . . and starve me. I slept in the cold dungeons and no matter my condition I had to perform the tasks he gave me or risk his wrath. I-I fled from him after sixteen years of living with him, and came to ada. I looked sort of like you did when you arrived here a few days ago. Ada gave me love and kindness and warmth, and he protected me from Lord Katar when the human came to take me away. I have been his son ever since."

"Lord Katar came back," Landion added. "He wanted revenge. He used me as bait to capture Thranduil and Legolas, and tortured us all. He killed my mother and her sister. He killed the only family I had. After we were rescued from the Forbidden Grove, Harune adopted me."

"I-I am so sorry," Elrohir said. "I-I know you must have felt ten times as worst as we."

Legolas shook his head. "No. Lord Katar did not call his beatings discipline. He knew they were wrong but he enjoyed it. It is harder for you, I think, to live with someone who thinks his punishments are right."

Elrohir swallowed, looking away as tears popped into his eyes. "Yes."

Legolas reached across the bed to touch his hand. "We will not talk about it more. You are safe now. Ada and Harune will give you all the love and comfort they gave Landion and me. You will heal."

Elladan asked, "Will you—will you not mind? I mean, will you be jealous?"

Legolas and Landion grinned. "Be jealous? Because our fathers are sharing their love for us with you? Never. We are not selfish. We realize we are blessed to have them and it would be cruel to deny you the love you both need to heal like we have."

"Thank you," Elladan whispered, coughing. "I-I do not why but . . . it is easier for us to be here then anywhere else. It is . . . calming to be around Thranduil and Harune. We can feel their gentleness and kindness in a way we never can with ada and naneth."

Legolas and Landion both nodded in understanding, looking toward the door as it opened, and Harune came in balancing two trays on his arms. He closed the door with his foot and deposited the trays in the hands of the twins as he crossed the marble floor.

"When will we be allowed to leave bed?" Elladan asked, buttering his toast generously.

"When Healer Jailil says so," Legolas said, mimicking Harune's voice. He grinned. "You do not know how many times I have heard that before."

"Legolas is quite right," Harune agreed.

"Well, when will he say so?" Elladan pressed.

"When his mouth opens up and the words decide to come out," Harune said. "Now eat!"

Elrohir met Legolas's eyes as Elladan bit into his bread beside him. "Do you not have archery lessons?"

Legolas gestured to the window, where gentle snow fell outside. "Have you lost your mind? In the freezing wastes of winter? Never! But I do have two hours of studying to do in the library to complete."

Landion pulled himself off the bed. "We will be late, Legolas, if we do not run."

Legolas waved before he skipped out of the room. Landion moved to slam the door in his haste but upon a look from his father, carefully shut it, giving Harune a cheeky smile.

Harune fell into a chair. "Take your time eating. I am in no hurry to start off on the next task."

* * *

The twins recovered from their trials. The thinness smoothed out of their cheeks, and the fear left their eyes.

On the first day Healer Jailil allowed the twins to leave their beds, Harune took them up to the room in the hall opposite Legolas's to show them where they would be staying during their stay. The trio descended to breakfast.

Thranduil, Legolas, and Landion sat around the round breakfast table. As soon as Harune and the twins sat down, the Mirkwood elflings dove for the food. The twins picked at their food.

"I believe I have something of yours, Elladan and Elrohir," Thranduil said.

The twins looked at each other in bewilderment. "But we—we have not left anything here from our last visit, have we?"

"No; you were most thorough in clearing out your old rooms," Thranduil said. "This is something you lost."

"What is it?" Elrohir asked, curious.

"Finish your food and I will show you," Thranduil said, sipping the hot contents of his coffee mug.

Breakfast finished over laughter and smiles. As soon as Galion stepped into the room to clear away the dishes, Thranduil rose to his feet, set down his napkin, and walked from the room.

The elven king led the way to the family sitting room, and entered its warm insides. With the twins hopping in their curiosity at his side, he went to the table by his armchair and picked up four leather covered drawing pads.

As he held them out to the twins, the elflings took them with confusion written across their faces. As they flipped through the filled pages, they both looked up, stumbling over the words, "But—but these were lost when the horses ran away."

"The Mirkwood scouts found the horses at our borders," Thranduil said. "They had a few scratches, no doubt from the wolves, but it appears they survived. They down in the stables being fed and watered; Hyrondal reported their arrival to me, and brought up the contents of the saddlebags. I realized they were yours after flipping through them."

A frightened look passed over the twins' faces. "I-I am—we are grateful for their re-return. Thank—thank you—um—I—"

"You are welcome," Thranduil said, wondering at their fright. "They were beautiful, emotion rich drawings. I have work to do now so I must go. I will done in the office by lunch time."

As the elf king left the room, sweeping his blue silk mantle onto his shoulders from the back of a chair as he passed, the twins sank down on the floor and clutched the drawing pads to them. Exchanging frightened looks, they whispered, "I wonder if he saw the drawings of Elrond we made when we were hating him for beating us?"

* * *

"We have turned up nothing," Glorfindel said, shrugging off the muddy folds of his cloak and sitting down in a chair. "Nothing."

Elrond paced furiously in front of the elf lord's chair. "What am I to do, Glorfindel? I am at a loss! My sons missing, maybe dead!"

"Or kidnapped," Glorfindel said quietly.

"There is no ransom note," Elrond said, stopping short. He resumed pacing. "Valar sakes, my wife and I sick with worry and not a lead in sight!"

"I have sent one of my best scouts ahead to Lothlorien to inquire if they have turned up there," Glorfindel said. "And we have sent a message to Thranduil in Mirkwood as well. I am sure they will be found."

"And if they are corpses? What am I to tell my wife?" Elrond demanded.

"The twins are not dead, Elrond," Glorfindel said. "You would have felt it if they had died."

Elrond waved an impatient hand. "It is hard to feel anything when my heart is so sick with worry!"

Glorfindel leaned his head back on the rim of his chair with a tired sigh. He heaved himself to his feet. "Excuse me, Elrond. I have been on my feet with little rest for weeks now, combing the entire valley and beyond in search of your sons. I need sleep."

"You cannot give up!" Elrond cried. "My sons lives hang on the line!"

Glorfindel paused in the doorway to look back at him. "There fresh horses in the stable, Elrond, and rested men. Take them and continue the search yourself. Do not come to me until I have slept."

"I too have been searching the valley but nothing . . . not a thing. Not even a body . . ." Elrond's voice trailed off. Faer had been questioned but the twins had never shown up the day they vanished for their lessons. They had simply disappeared into the whirling blizzard and left not a trace.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading My Word; I love to hear from you and I enjoy reading your comments.**


	37. Broken Souls

"Ada does not cook," said Elladan. "Neither does naneth."

"Not everyone does," Harune replied. "But I consider it a fulfilling activity. Landion and I enjoy it."

The twins looked around the spacious palace kitchens. Cooks and servants walked the floor, carrying trays and racks of fresh rolls and cakes. The smell of sugar and spices were in the air.

"Is there something you would like to make?" Harune asked.

"We—we do not know how to cook," Elladan admitted.

"It is not hard to learn," Harune assured him. "If you follow my directions, whatever you make will turn out fine."

"We happen to have a weakness for pastries," Elrohir said. "We do not eat them often, but the cream filled tarts and pies are our favorite snack."

"We have a recipe for pastries here somewhere," Harune said. "I can imagine why you enjoy them so much."

"We have not eaten them in many years now," Elrohir said. "When the pastries are finished, can we take one up to Thranduil?"

Harune smiled. "Yes. I know he would like it."

The twins followed Harune's directions as the elf spoke aloud in his patient voice, finding the many ingredients in the vast pantries. Floury and dusty, the twins and Harune sat down as the pastries baked in the ovens to sip herbal tea with plenty of honey.

"I knew not it would take so long," Elrohir admitted.

"Well, the dough must rise more then once," Harune agreed. "But the end results will be worth it."

"Do you think Thranduil will still be in his office when the pastries are finally done?" Elladan asked.

Harune glanced up at the clock on the wall, its smooth surface surrounded by polished wood. "Yes," he said. "Thranduil had a meeting to attend this morning. He will eat lunch in his office, and be done by mid afternoon."

"Will he mind if we interrupt him with a pastry?" Elrohir asked.

"No," said Harune.

The twins sat back on their stools and sipped their tea. The counters and tables of the kitchens stretched out around them, covered in racks of food. The kitchen elves moved with quiet grace, clad in green and black garbs, their hair tied back in braids or ponytails.

"I am so much happier here," Elrohir said suddenly. "The clouds usually floating above my mind and covering my heart are gone."

Harune reached across the table to press his hand. "I am glad."

"Me to," said Elrohir quietly. "I am able to see the sun, and the light side of the world instead of only darkness."

Harune finished his tea. "We have cream filling to make. Come to stoves, and be careful or you may burn yourselves."

An hour later Elladan and Elrohir walked up the stairs with the plate holding the heart shaped pastry on its blue and white center. They made their way to Thranduil's office and knocked on the door.

A rustle of paper sounded, and Thranduil's voice said, "Come in."

Elladan looked at his twin as he drew in a deep breath and opened the door.

"We have brought you a pastry," he said as he entered the room.

Thranduil looked up from his desk, wiping his ink stained fingers on a handkerchief. He put down his pen and took the plate from Elrohir as he held it out.

"Thank you," he said. "My energy was waning but I have no doubt this will help revive it."

"We made it," Elrohir said. "With Harune's help. We have not eaten one yet; we wanted you to have the first one."

Thranduil bit into the tip of the heart. The twins looked at him with anxious eyes, hoping it tasted good. Thranduil swallowed and put down the heart. He leaned over to pat their cheeks. "A true masterpiece of buttery flavor. It is delicious. Thank you."

Elladan and Elrohir's eyes lit up.

"As much as I would like to sit and eat with you, I have work to do," Thranduil said. "I suggest you run down to the kitchens and eat yours before they grow cold. These pastries are best warm, but this one is by far the sweetest I have tasted."

The twins slipped out of the room, closing the door. Their hearts lifted with the gracious reception of their gift, they ran back to the kitchens.

Harune looked up from the counter where the cooling pastries lay and asked, "Well?"

"He loved it," Elrohir said. "Like you said he would."

Harune wiped his hands on a cloth and piled a dozen of the pastries onto a plate. "Legolas and Landion will be back from the snowy forest soon. Shall we take these up to the dining room and share them with them?"

The twins nodded and skipped after Harune up the long back staircase, leading straight into the dining room. They sat down at the round table and waited for Legolas and Landion, helping themselves to their creations with a feeling of great accomplishment and satisfaction at a job well done.

"Harune," said Elrohir, hesitating. He licked his fingers as he finished a star shaped pastry. "Will you—will you help us make something else tomorrow? We liked cooking."

"Not tomorrow," said Harune. "I have work to do with my apprentice, Galion, and afterwards, I promised Landion I would spend the rest of the day with him."

Elrohir's face fell.

"But if you ask Thranduil to help you after he is done in the office, I have no doubt he will."

"Thranduil can cook to?" Elrohir asked in surprise.

"Of course. He and I spent many winter days in the kitchens when he was little, and the gift never left him. Unfortunately, Oropher never received his creations with much gratitude," Harune remarked.

Elladan and Elrohir looked at each other, seeing many happy, love filled days ahead of them, and looked forward to each one. But one day cast them once again into the throes of misery.

* * *

Thranduil pressed a hand to his forehead as he came across the row of broken vases in the hallway. Picking up his robes so as not to drag the shards of pottery with him, he walked past them, and went in search of the culprits.

"Legolas Greenleaf!" he said as he marched into the family room, and found Legolas lying before the hearth, playing a card game with Landion.

Legolas looked up in surprise. "What?"

"What have you to say for yourself?" Thranduil demanded, folding his arms across his chest.

Legolas blinked. "About what?"

Thranduil dropped his arms in disgust. "Do not play innocent with me, you rascal! Three vases broken!"

Legolas held up his hands. "I swear I did not break anything today. I swear!"

Thranduil searched his eyes in suspicion but saw only truth. He knew Legolas would lie to him so he turned to Landion. "Was it you who broke the vases?"

"No," Landion said sincerely. "It is snowing heavily outside so we could not go out to wrestle, but I kept to my promise, and Legolas kept to his. We have not fought in the halls and broken a thing in weeks."

"The twins," said Thranduil in sudden realization, and went to find the elflings.

Elladan and Elrohir were sitting in their room on the carpet, staring at the open pages of their sketchbooks without drawing a line. They looked up at Thranduil's entrance.

"Which one of you broke three vases?" Thranduil asked.

Elrohir bit his lip and looked away. "I-I do not know."

"We could not go outside," Elladan said quietly. "And we—we ended up fighting. We did not mean to break the vases."

"Are you going to hit us?" Elrohir quavered.

The words hit Thranduil like a slap in the face. He dropped to his knees beside Elrohir, seeing the elfling was shaking and took Elrohir's hands. "No, Elrohir, I do not believe hitting you will remedy the wrong. I told you myself I never hit as punishment."

Elrohir's eyes fell to the floor. "I-I am s-sorry—I-I thought of Elrond, and I f-forgot—I thought of him when the vases broke—and what he would have done—and I forgot everything you said—sorry—I was scared—and we ran away—I do not—we did not want to be hit."

"How long have you sat here?" Thranduil asked in sudden dread.

Elrohir's eyes filled with tears. "Hours and hours."

Thranduil hugged the twins to him chest, his heart aching. Elrohir sobbed into his shirt, the hours of gut-wrenching fear inside him finally spilling out in a waterfall of contained pain. Thranduil thought of the blank sketchbook pages, and knew the twins must have been terrified, unable to concentrate on anything except the horrible punishment they imagined was coming their way.

"It is all right, Elrohir and Elladan," he said, massaging their backs until the tears flowed in a tiny trickle. "I know you were scared, and I understand why your minds flew immediately to Elrond's form of punishment. It is all you have ever known."

"We do not want to know it," Elladan said. "What are _you_ going to do?"

In his arms, despite all he had said, Elrohir tensed.

"You have disobeyed my orders not to fight inside," Thranduil said. "Since I cannot send you to the stables, you can both go straight down the kitchens and scrub the floors, and think about why you forgot what I said to you about fighting."

Elrohir relaxed and some of the concern left Elladan's eyes. "Right now?" the older twin asked.

"After your nerves have settled," Thranduil answered. "And before you go down to the kitchens, the broken vases need to be swept up."

Elrohir leaned against Thranduil's chest, letting his tears dry and his fear fade. He sat back with a small sniff and let the elf king wipe the tears from his cheeks.

"You will find a broom in the hall closet," Thranduil said.

As the twins rose to their feet, Thranduil followed them to the door. He said, "Elladan and Elrohir, there is one more thing I want you to remember. It will not be easy for you to do, but I want you to try. The next time you do something you know you should not, I want you to come to me and tell me immediately."

Elrohir swallowed.

"The worst I will do to you is scream," Thranduil said. "And at the best, you will not both sit for hours, devoured by fear."

"We will remember," Elrohir promised. "And we will not fight inside again."

Thranduil gestured for them to leave but the elflings remained where they were, hesitating.

"What is it?" asked Thranduil.

Elladan looked up at him. "I know we are being punished, but will you give us a kiss? Please?"

Thranduil leaned down to kiss the salty cheeks. He knew it gave the twins peace to know that, while they were being punished, he was not angry with them.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading; your comments inspire me so much. As always, I would love to hear from you.  
**


	38. Nightmare

Elrohir swung his legs out of bed and slid into his clothes. Elladan was not in sight but his nightshirt lay on the floor. Puzzled, Elrohir left the bedroom. He ran down to the dining room, ready for a hot breakfast.

Elrohir came to a halt in the doorway, and his eyes opened wide at the sound of his twin's screams.

"Elrohir!" said Elrond, looking up from the task of punishing Elladan. "You are late to breakfast!"

"H-how—no—you cannot be here!" Elrohir stuttered, stumbling back on numbed legs as Elrond released Elladan and came toward him. He looked with frantic eyes at the rich wood walls of the dining room; walls distinctly belonging to Mirkwood. He thought of his bedroom, the floor carpeted with red and white woven mats, and the blue bedspread. It all screamed Mirkwood to him.

"I am here," Elrond said. "I am here to take to home!"

"No!" Elrohir screamed. He turned to run but the walls closed in around him. He cowered back against it as Elrond neared.

"Running away from the people who love you, and endangering your life as well as the lives of countless scouts was a bad thing to do, Elrohir," Elrond said. "I do not want to see it happen again."

Elrohir sat up in bed, drenched in cold sweat as the strap hit him in the nightmare-infested corner of his mind. He doubled over, his face in his hands, and wept.

The room around him rested in darkness, but the shape of it, and the dim shadows of the dresser, washbasin, and the large wardrobe told him he sat in his room at Mirkwood. Elladan sat up beside him with worried eyes.

"I-I am scared," Elrohir whimpered. "I-I dreamed Elrond came—to take us back. I do not want to return to Rivendell. Not ever!"

Elladan lifted the blankets, letting cold air into the sticky, hot space trapped beneath the coverings, and slid to sit beside his twin. "He will come, Elrohir. You know he will find us eventually. We cannot hide forever. I have dreamed of him to, and know it is inevitable."

Elrohir moaned. "I do not want to accept it. I do not want to think of what he will do to us. I do not want to think of those haunted days."

Elladan squeezed his hand.

"I do not want to sleep," Elrohir wailed. "I will have more bad dreams!"

"You must rest," Elladan argued. His eyes brightened. "Perhaps Thranduil will not mind if we sleep with him, if we are quiet and do not wake him."

Elrohir raised his head from his hands, enticed by the idea at the thought of a warm embrace. He crawled out of the nest of blankets. "I will try. He will not punish us like Elrond does at the least. There is nothing to lose."

"Wait for me," Elladan replied.

Elrohir could hear his heart banging in his chest as he opened the bedroom door, and crept out into the dark hall. A sense of dread filled him; he had been told not to leave his room after bedtime, and now he walked a forbidden hallway, ending at the far door in the wall.

The floor was smooth under his bare feet. Outside the oak door to Thranduil's room, Elrohir stopped and held his breath. He could hear Elladan's heart thumping from nervousness beside him. He looked at his twin. After a moment he reached for the doorknob and turned it, swinging the door open.

Thanking the valar Harune did his job well, and the door's hinges were well greased, Elrohir slipped into the room, the silk threads of the carpet under his feet silencing the small whispers of his movement.

The large, four-poster bed made a wide, unmistakable shadow ahead. Elrohir could see the shape of Thranduil's body underneath the covers, which he knew where pale blue. He stopped at the side of the bed, unable to summon the courage to lift the blankets and crawl in though he longed to.

Elladan's breathing seemed loud.

The fire popped and Elrohir jumped in fright. He froze as Thranduil stirred. The elf king sat up, shaking his tousled hair off his face, and slid his legs over the side of the bed, tossing off the blankets. He frowned at the sight of the twins, his eyes puzzled.

"What on middle earth are you here for in the dead of night?"

Elladan realized Elrohir's voice would shake too much if he tried to answer, so he volunteered a reply. "We—we dreamed of Elrond, and the dreams were not pleasant. We hoped you would let us sleep with you."

Thranduil yawned and stretched his muscles. "Climb into bed while I feed the fire."

Elrohir slumped into the warm bed, relieved he could for he knew he knees would have failed him had he stood much longer. He moved over to the far side, his pounding heart softening as he lay down. It fluttered at Thranduil's return.

Thranduil lay down between the twins, offering each of them the safety of his arms, and tugged up the blankets over them. He felt Elrohir's hammering heart.

"It must have been a bad a nightmare," he said.

Elrohir swallowed. "Yes. The-the nightmares do not hurt Elladan as much as they do me . . . I am the one Elrond ordered tied down to a cold slab like a sacrifice, and spat upon."

Thranduil shifted, taking his arm out from under Elladan's head. His fingers sought out the cold tears he knew were on Elrohir's face and brushed them away. The elfling sniffed.

"I know you are hurting inside," he said. "I know you are scared and you feel alone. But I am here now, and so is Harune. And the last thing we would allow Elrond to do is to take you back to a home where you feel the cruel stab of a knife day by day. Legolas healed from his wounds, and you will to."

Elrohir buried his face in Thranduil's chest, his tears overflowing to soak his shirt. "But Legolas is your son, and you had every right to him. We are not your children. Elrond can take us if he wants to, and you cannot stop him. We cannot run from him, or hide from him, and no one can protect us!"

"I will," Thranduil said. "The whole of Mirkwood will protect you both. While you may not be my sons, and while Elrond does have command of you, I can do more then you might think."

Elrohir wrapped his arms around Thranduil and clung to him, his tears leaking out from his eyes even after his exhaustion pulled him into the realm of sleep. Knowing Thranduil lay beside him, holding him and his twin together, warded away the nightmares creeping at his mind's edge.

Thranduil lay awake long after the twins had fallen asleep, stroking their hair with each of his two hands. He stared at the canopy overhead, knowing the blackness of it in the dark was a soothing blue. His heart weighed down his chest. He knew Elrond would come. He knew a letter would come. Elrond could force his hand with his impatience and his refusal to understand.

Thranduil could feel the loneliness in the twins. He could feel how helpless and alone and small they were. He could feel the grief chewing them apart from the inside, and the fear eating their minds. He could feel the misery stealing the light from their eyes. And it all linked into Elrond.

It was time to talk to Hyrondal about the Forbidden Grove again. He would not let Elrond take the twins back and scar their pure souls. He would protect them at any costs. And even if it meant starting a war, he would keep the twins safe.

* * *

 **Another chapter written and posted. I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. If you did, I would be happy to know why, and if you did not, I would be interested to know why as well.**


	39. Breaking News

Elladan and Elrohir stood by the window and looked out at the heavy blanket of snow lying across the ground and weighing down the boughs of the trees. Sunlight put sparkles and glitter across it.

Legolas dashed into the room and demanded, "Landion and I are going outside. Will you come?"

The twins turned around to see Legolas holding out two fur wraps. As they took the wraps and fastened the folds around themselves in agreement, Legolas continued, "We have two giant forts in the archery fields. We are meeting with many of my friends to have a snow battle. You will have to be on the enemy team but I hope you do not mind?"

He looked a little anxious but Elladan assured him, "Not at all. This will give us a chance to hurl slush balls into your face."

"When we are done, before we come inside, can we stop by the stables and see our horses again?" Elrohir asked. "We owe them our lives."

"We stop at the kitchens first and see if we can squeeze some apples to give them out of the tightfisted cooks," Legolas said. "They will not give me so much as a cookie without a written note of ada's approval!"

"You must not eat a lot of cookies," Elladan said in amusement as the trio left the room.

Legolas shook his head. "Oh no. I keep reusing the same note."

Elladan choked on a laugh as he chuckled. "You would."

Legolas went out the main gate, waving to the guards, and plowed through the snow in the direction of the archery fields. Elladan and Elrohir remembered their first lessons in archery during their stay at Mirkwood previously with fondness.

Two grand castles took up opposite sides of the archery fields, complete with four towers and ramparts. Four dozen elves and elflings milled around the thick wall of the castle opposite the one Legolas ran to, joining his friends at its base.

Elladan and Elrohir crossed the open ground and stood to admire the walls of the castle. The inside of the keep was a small square, about four feet across.

The shrill peal of a whistle announced the start of the action, and the two teams hurled themselves into action.

Thranduil pursed his lips as he read the letter before him on his desk, wondering what to say. He would not lie, that much he knew, but he had no wish to fling the lives of the twins back into jeopardy.

The elf king rose to his feet with the letter in hand and went in search of Harune for advice. Unable to find his father, he headed back to his office, and bumped into Galion outside the door.

"Harune joined Legolas for a snow war in the archery fields," Galion said. "He said to tell you he would be back for lunch."

"Thank you," said Thranduil, and returned to his desk, wondering how Harune's apprentice was advancing.

He put the letter aside but the words were stuck in his head:

 _Dear Thranduil,_

 _Misfortune has befallen us and my sons have disappeared. My wife and I know only worry day by day as no trace of them is uncovered, and we fear for their lives. If you know anything that may help us, we would be grateful if you could share your knowledge with us and aid us in the search for our beloved twin sons._

 _Elrond and Celebrian, Rivendell, lord and lady of._

Thranduil heard the lunch bell peel two hours later, and applied the finishing touches to the document before him. He put aside the papers before him for the next day, tidying the surface of the desk and leaving it bare.

Leaving the room clean, he closed the door on it until the next day, and walked to the dining room. Harune had not arrived yet with the elflings but the table was set. As he sat down, a shriek of laughter and a crash announced the arrival of his family.

Seconds later a red-cheeked Legolas crashed into his arms, his hair damp from melted snow.

"Who won?" Thranduil inquired, brushing back the wet locks and leaning down to give the flushed face a kiss.

"Elladan and Elrohir's side," Legolas answered, sliding into his seat. "The snow castles are gone."

"Wars leave little left," Thranduil said as Harune, the twins, and Landion came to the table. He waited for calm to settle before he broke the ice. "I have received a letter from Elrond."

Thranduil felt his heart crack as the twins' hands froze midair and two pairs of scared eyes turned toward him.

Elrohir jerked his hand into his lap to hide its trembling. "W-what—does he want?"

"He says you are missing," Thranduil said. "And that he and Celebrian and worried and wish to find you. He asks if I know anything about you, would I please tell him."

"Will you?" Elladan asked quietly.

"I will not lie," Thranduil said. "Not when asked directly."

The twins' heads bowed low. "He will come . . . and take us home. And I know he will beat us for running away."

Thranduil reached across the table to take their cold, shaking hands. "Elladan, Elrohir, your father will not do any beating, and especially not on you. Not while you are under my protection."

"You cannot keep us forever, can you? We are not your sons. Elrond is the one to whom we belong."

Thranduil sat back with a heavy heart at the sound of their forlorn voices. "I will do everything within my power, Elladan and Elrohir, to make sure Elrond and Celebrian do not hurt you ever again. I promise."

The twins nodded with their eyes down, pushing their plates away. Both elflings rose to their feet, and left the room, murmuring, "We are not hungry."

Thranduil let them leave, understanding they needed to be alone. He looked down the table at Harune, his eyes bleeding at the sight of the twins' pain.

* * *

"Bother this letter!" Thranduil said, slamming his pen down to the table.

Harune looked at him as he poured Thranduil a cup of tea. "We have no wish to send it."

Thranduil spooned honey into his tea. "I have no wish to bring Elrond here. I do not wish to see the twins unhappy. I have no wish to send this cursed letter!"

Harune sat down opposite him with his own cup of tea and sipped. "We both know why we must send it, Thranduil. If Legolas went missing, you would sit in sick worry, as I am sure Elrond and Celebrian are now. This letter will relieve their minds."

"I do not understand how they can love their sons," Thranduil grumbled.

"They may not," Harune agreed. "But we still must answer the letter."

"Rot," Thranduil said.

"Elrond will come," Harune said. "He will come to take the twins, but we cannot hide them forever, ion nin. He will come and we will do what we can to help him see how much he has hurt Elladan and Elrohir."

"And if he refuses to see," Thranduil said, "We will make him!" His eyes were determined. "I have spoken with Hyrondal about the Forbidden Grove. He believes its mists can be harnessed and used. His attempts at controlling it are going well, he says."

"I do not wish to start a war," Harune sighed. "But . . . I cannot see Elladan and Elrohir hurting alone in their pain. We will do what we can for them."

"We will do all we can for them," Thranduil said with force.

* * *

 **Will another war come to pass? Is this the beginning of another Kinslaying or does the King of Mirkwood play a secret hand?**

 **Thank you all for reading; feedback and suggestions are more then welcome.**


	40. Come Hence Forth

"Hir nin?" Erestor poked his face into the sitting room.

Elrond sat in his armchair before the hearth in silence. Celebrian sat beside him, Arwen asleep in her arms.

"What is it, Erestor?" Elrond asked into the dull silence.

"A letter from King Thranduil, hir nin," said Erestor, remembering the elven king with fondness.

Celebrian started. "Perhaps he has news of the twins!"

Elrond shot from his chair and snatched the letter from Erestor. He ripped it open in one desperate movement, his fingers shaking as he unfolded the slip of paper and read the letters scrolling across the page.

 _Dear Elrond and Celebrian,_

 _I write in reply to your letter, and to set your hearts to rest for I know the worries burdening you. I know your hearts must ache with worry for the well being of your sons, and wonder where they are._

 _I know where the twins are. I cannot divulge the information on paper but if you will do me the honors of calling on me at Mirkwood we can discuss the sad state of the twins well being._

 _I assure you the elves of Mirkwood will treat you well, and you will live in comfort. I ask you to please come to my home at your earliest convenience._

 _Thranduil Haruneion, king of Mirkwood._

Elrond spun to face his wife. "He knows where they are!"

As Celebrian gasped, Elrond turned to Erestor. "My bags, Erestor! I must leave at once! There is no time to send a reply letter; I must go to Mirkwood and talk with Thranduil in person."

Erestor hurried from the room to give orders to the servants and to summon Glorfindel. Elrond glanced at the letter in his hand, frowning at the signature.

Haruneion? Should it not be Oropherion? Then he remembered with distaste Harune. That was a meeting he took no joy in having. He did not approve of Thranduil's choice of a father, refusing to accept his blood father as his ada. He had not met Harune in the past, but he imagined the elf must be manipulative and cunning if he had tricked and weaseled Thranduil into naming him his father! But, as much as he had no wish to meet Harune, news of his sons would make the unpleasantness worthwhile.

"I do not wish to leave you with Arwen still so young," Elrond said, looking down at his wife. "And she is too small to travel."

"But you must go," Celebrian insisted. "News of the twins, even finding them, is worth everything to me! I will live without you for how ever long you are gone. I will ask my parents to come down and help me."

"Erestor will take care of the office work, and Glorfindel will lead the valley's defenses," Elrond said. "I will leave you to guide our people with wisdom, and bring our sons home to the embrace of love as soon as I can."

Celebrian reached up to kiss his cheek. Elrond returned the kiss and stroked Arwen's soft cheek. He turned and walked out of the room to collect his bags and depart on his journey to Mirkwood.

* * *

Harune ran the comb in his hand through Thranduil's hair. His son sat at his feet, hair thrown back over his dressing gown. He sat facing the hearth. In his big bed, Legolas and Landion slept, sandwiched between the twins.

"Will Elrond come?" Thranduil wondered.

"He will," Harune replied, keeping his voice low so the elflings could sleep. "Your letter will capture his curiosity and bring him here."

"I hope so," Thranduil said. "It is time he learned to see how much he has hurt Elladan and Elrohir."

"You will have to keep Healer Jailil from throttling Elrond," Harune said in amusement.

"I am sure Healer Jailil has left behind his angry feelings," Thranduil said.

Harune put aside the comb. "Your ada is tired from slaving over the benefits of your hair!"

Thranduil yawned. "I share your feelings." He and Harune stood. They crossed to the bed and slid under the blankets, settling into the comfortable space open to them. Legolas moved up against Thranduil in his sleep out of habit, clutching a handful of his father's soft hair. Thranduil brushed the silky locks from his son's face, tucking them behind his ear. A soft smile came to his lips.

He looked up as Elrohir mumbled in his sleep and tossed, shifting Legolas onto his free side so he could move closer to the elfling. Legolas's eyes blinked before he settled into his new position and returned to sleep. Elrohir quieted as Thranduil's hand closed over his.

* * *

Elrohir lay in silence beside Thranduil, not wishing to speak, and enjoying the feel of Thranduil stroking his hair.

"Thranduil," he said.

Thranduil responded with a questioning "Hmm?"

"I am scared. I do not want to see ada and at the same time I do." Elrohir rolled over and looked up into Thranduil's eyes. "It is confusing. I love him but . . . I hate him to. He is our father, and I want him to love us. I love him! I-I even miss him . . . a little."

Thranduil smiled. "I know how you feel. Your hearts are divided, and you are confused. It is not easy fearing the one who gave you life and loving them at the same time."

Elrohir rested his cheek on Thranduil's chest. "He will come. I know he will."

"Elrond will be here," Thranduil agreed. "And I will stand by you when he comes."

Elrohir sighed. "I know you will. But I do not know if he can change. I do not think he will change."

"Place your trust in me, Elrohir. I will do all I can to help Elrond see the wrong he has done. Place your trust in me, and maybe you will walk away with a better father."

Elrohir nodded. "I do trust you. I trust you more then Elrond. I am not scared when you punish me."

Thranduil's fingers ran through his hair, freeing knots from their tangles. The silence settled into the early rays of dawn.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Thank you for haring your thoughts. You are right; Thranduil would not risk the lives of his people-risk leaving other children without parents-all for Elladan and Elrohir but neither will he stand by and watch them be hurt. He is a sticky situation but, hopefully, he will wriggle out of it! Thanks for reading.  
**

 **And to you (you know who you are) thank you for reading My Word. I appreciate it as much as Elladan and Elrohir delight in knowing their story is being told.**


	41. Elrond Arrives

Elrond glanced at the bare trees of Mirkwood as he rode. Thranduil's realm stretched on for miles. In the spring it lit up with new life and buds; an ocean of green. In fall it flamed with magnificent color. But during winter, the trees stood naked, displaying their trunks and limbs with pride. A shallow layer of snow covered the ground, scattering on the wind as the wind whipped it through the air.

The horses' hooves clumped through the snow, following the gentle touches of their riders, and the riders followed the fur-clad silvan elf leading the way ahead of them. The elf followed a path hidden by the snow but visible to his feet, who had walked it hundreds of times. As the party ventured deeper into Mirkwood, the Rivendell elves saw log houses set in hollows of trees, neat paths leading onto the main one. Houses were built above them in the wide, flat boughs of the trees, rope ladders and bridges widening through the branches and down the trunks.

Elrond saw fur-clad elflings wrestling in the snow, hurling slush balls at one another. They stopped to stare at the visitors. Curiosity satisfied within minutes, they resumed their joyful activities.

He and his escort had been riding through Mirkwood for several days now and the journey was at a near end.

The trees thinned out and a narrow path led onto an arching stone bridge. Below it, the forest river rushed past, edged by ice. Dark, cold water flowed between the gaps in the ice like liquid blackness. At the end of the bridge, another short path led up to the great palace gates. The structure rose into the air, doors inlaid with blue and silver colors, and the roof ending in a twining of tree branches.

"We have arrived, Lord Elrond," said the guide. He pushed back the hood of his cloak for the first time, revealing a flushed face and dark hair. "If you will dismount, your horses will be taken to the stables, and your luggage attended to you. The king is waiting."

Elrond swung one leg over the saddle and stepped from the stirrup to the ground. His escort left their mounts, handing the reins of their horses to the elves that emerged to take them.

The palace doors swung open, the hinges groaning as the metal swung back. The guide gestured for Elrond and his party to follow him into the palace.

It had been years—centuries—since Elrond's last visit to Mirkwood, and the realm had grown since then. The palace stretched out before him, great halls and rooms connected by stairs. At the heart of the palace sat the king's throne.

The guide stepped aside and bowed as he approached the throne, the silver and blue layers of Thranduil's mantel draped across it. Thranduil rose from the seat, his body casting a long shadow onto the floor in front of him and covering Elrond. The shape of his crown made spikes over Elrond's face, and the elf lord felt as though . . . perhaps Thranduil was angry.

"Welcome to Mirkwood," Thranduil said, his voice level though the air around him felt as though a storm gathered.

"Thank you. It is honor to . . . be here. As you know, I am most anxious to learn of the whereabouts of my sons and—"

Thranduil held up a hand to stop him. "I have no doubt you are worried about the twins, but I assure you they are in good health. In as good health as any elfling can be when they have been treated as they have." His eyes were accusing.

"What has happened to my sons? Are they injured?" Elrond demanded, his eyes lighting up with worry.

"In a way, they are," Thranduil replied.

"Where are they? I must see them!" Elrond glanced around him, his robes swirling, as though he expected to see his sons behind him.

"You will see them in good time," Thranduil said. "If you will follow Galion, he will take you to your room, Elrond. The rest of your escort will be housed with in another part of the palace unless you have any objections?"

"None at all. I wish only to see my sons," Elrond replied. As the brown-haired elf appeared at his side as though he had walked through a portal, he turned and followed Galion from the throne platform.

Thranduil gestured to the elf guide. "Hyrondal, the captain of the guard, will take you to your rooms."

The Rivendell elves bowed and walked away. Thranduil stood and watched them leave before he whirled and made for his chambers, preparing himself for Legolas's arrival from the white world outside. The first thing to do was to leave behind the silken folds he wore; Legolas's embrace would be wet.

After changing into a lighter robe and removing his crown, Thranduil found Elrond standing by the hearth in the family room, pacing with impatience. He had changed out of his travel garb and replaced the heavy cloak with a tan colored wrap.

"I have traveled hundreds of miles to be here, Thranduil," Elrond said. "And I am not in the mood for games! Tell me where my sons are. I have worried and tossed in my bed for weeks now, wondering at their fates."

Thranduil sank down in his armchair and leaned back, resting his bare feet on the stool. "Sit down, Elrond. I know how long your journey was, and I am aware of your anxieties. But worry not. Elladan and Elrohir are with my son and brother, and will be inside shortly."

"How long have they been in Mirkwood?" Elrond demanded, sitting down opposite Thranduil, his dark eyes suspicious.

Thranduil stared him in the eyes. "Elladan and Elrohir ran away from you, Elrond. They crossed the Misty Mountains and the plains alone in the settling colds of fall, and came to me for protection. They have been here five months now. I answered your letter when it came."

"Protection? From what? They are as safe in Rivendell as they are here, if not more for they have Celebrian and me to stand by them."

Thranduil's eyebrows rose in a cold gesture. "Really? I think not. From what the twins have told me, you and Celebrian do less then stand by them. I understand you listen with half an ear to their words."

"How dare you! You know nothing of what transpires under our roof! Do not poke your nose into family matters and think you know what is best for children who are not your own!" Elrond cried, half rising from his seat in rage.

"I have gazed upon a clear picture of what goes on under your roof, Elrond," Thranduil replied. "And I have seen it through the eyes of the ones it effects the most."

"Drop the riddles," Elrond snapped.

"I shall speak plainly," Thranduil said. "Elladan and Elrohir came to me for protection, driven from their home in fear of their parents. They came to me and begged me to protect them from the justice you view as fair, and I . . . I have given it to them."

"What in Arda?" Elrond wondered. "What lies have they told you? What foul magic have you worked on their innocent minds?"

Thranduil shook his head. "They have spoken no lies, Elrond. You are the one who is caught in a web of untruths."

The sound of laughter and running feet cut off Elrond's furious reply from cutting the air. The door flew open, and admitted Legolas and Landion. Legolas hurled himself into Thranduil's lap and hugged him. He sat back and received his father's kiss with a grin before he shot Elrond a curious glance and moved to the sofa to sit beside Landion.

Harune came into the room, his cheeks flushed and his hair damp from his time outside with the elflings, holding a tray of white mugs steaming the smell of hot chocolate into the air. He set it down on the table beside Thranduil's chair and handed one to Elrond.

A servant, thought Elrond, taking the mug.

Thranduil picked up a mug and rested it on his thigh. "Where are the twins, Harune?" he asked.

Elrond spluttered and coughed on his chocolate. As Thranduil and Harune both looked at him in surprise, Elrond jerked his thumb at Harune and choked, "This—this—this _servant_ is your father? I expected him to have some noble bearing at least but this—this kitchen slave?"

Thranduil slammed his mug down on the tray and rose to his feet. "How dare you speak of my father in such a disrespectful way? You take back your rude words and apologize now!"

Harune laid a slender hand on Thranduil's arm and looked into his son's eyes with a slight shake of his head. Thranduil's hands unclenched but his eyes still bored a hole though Elrond's head.

"A common mistake," Elrond said stiffly, giving Harune a short nod of his head. "My apologies."

"There is no need to apologize," Harune replied, his voice calm. "I was not insulted."

Elrond set his mug down. He turned in his chair, starting as Elladan and Elrohir came into the room, giggling. They stopped short in their steps at the sight of their father, the color draining from their cheeks. Keeping their eyes fixed on Elrond they inched toward the sofa.

"F-father," Elladan said, clearing his throat. "We—we—knew you were coming. It—it is—" His voice trailed off. He could not say it was good to see you when it was not.

Elrond sprang to his feet. "Oh, ion nins, how I have missed you! Your mother and I worried every day, fearing you were dead or injured! I am relieved to see you well."

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged silent looks. "We—we have dreamed about you . . . wondered how Arwen is."

"She is growing," Elrond answered, coming toward the twins. "I am not surprised you thought of us, stuck here in this forest without—"

"We are not stuck here," Elladan said. "We came here because we wanted to. Because we needed to. Because we had no choice!"

Elrond nodded his head. "Yes, I know you ran away. Under different circumstances, I would give you good reason to remember it was a very wrong thing to do, worrying your mother and I, endangering the lives of scouts, and your own lives, all because of some foolish fear. But you have lived through a lot and I will not punish you. This time!"

A shudder ran through Elrohir. Thranduil bit his lip as he saw the beginning of building anger on the elflings part. Before he could speak, Elrohir's hands clamped over the back of the sofa and he leaned forward to scream.

"It was not a foolish fear! It was a real nightmare, and we lived it every day! We were dying from misery, Elrond, and you refused to see it! You refused to stop your cruel beatings and find another way! We ran away from you because you hurt us, and I still hate you!"

Elrond's eyes flashed. "I will not tolerate that language, Elrohir. I do not beat you! Control yourself, ion, or—"

"Or what? You will beat us?" Elrohir spat.

Elrond frowned. "I had forgotten how stubborn you are, Elrohir, and what it takes to keep you in hand. My patience is wearing thin. I have crossed mountains to find you, and I am not happy with you at all! Your foolish actions have cost me much! Now you behave yourself, or I will teach you a lesson you will not soon forget!"

Elrohir shriveled under the threat and tears filled his eyes.

"No," said Thranduil. "You will do no such thing, Elrond. Not while your sons are under my protection."

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading. Elrond has finally arrived in Mirkwood and the sparks are already flying.  
**

 **Next chapter: Thranduil and Elrond do more then clash.**

 **To all of those who celebrate: Happy Forth of July!**


	42. The Forest Explodes

Elrond recoiled. "Who are you to stand in my way?"

"I am Thranduil Haruneion, king of the realm you stand in, and I stand in the way of anyone who dares harm a child!" Thranduil said.

"What would you know of parenting?" Elrond demanded. "Nothing! You treated Oropher with disrespect and defied him, choosing this servant as your father! You gave your son away to a dirty human! What do you know about being a good father?"

"We all make mistakes, but I have fixed mine," Thranduil answered. "But I pity you, Elrond. Your parents set you a terrible example, leaving you to the mercies of the kinslayers. Whatever those who took you in did to do must now account for your twisted idea of discipline."

Elrond shook his fist under Thranduil's nose. "Do not speak of something you know nothing about! A good, sound thrashing teaches any child to obey!"

Thranduil's eyebrow twitched, and his voice rose to a roar. "And right now a good, sound thrashing will teach you to shut up! You watch how you speak to me, Elrond, for my temper is on its edge! I am angry with you for what you have done to your sons, and thinking of you beating them; taking a strap to their helpless, little bodies rattles the chains I hold it in! You speaking of it like it is some normal thing in the world is unlocking the lock on those chains!"

Legolas jumped at the sound of his father's furious voice. He resisted a mere moment as Harune took him and Landion by the hand and led them out of the room. He beckoned to the twins to follow him, and closed the door on the elf king and lord.

Grateful the elflings were out of the room, where they would not hear bitter words exchanged, Thranduil sent a silent thank you to his father, who always knew what he needed, before he turned back to Elrond to say what he thought.

"I do not know what you have done to my sons," Elrond spat. "You have poisoned them somehow with your foul magic! I am taking them from you and leaving!"

"I will not fight with you over the same old thing," Thranduil snapped. "I have told you why the twins ran away from you; you mistreated them! And I have said they are under my protection! Elladan and Elrohir stay with me until they choose of their own will to return to Rivendell. You are free to leave and never show your blackened face again but you try and take your sons, and I will call out my warriors to stop you!"

"You would not dare!" Elrond spluttered.

"Oh, I would. You do not know me as well as you like to think! You are free to stay here, Elrond, for I wish to help you learn to love your children as any father should, but I swear if you hurt the twins, I will fling you into the dungeons and let you ROT! You may have your own warriors with you, able to defeat a small pack of orcs, but they will stand no chance against the seasoned garrison of Mirkwood, who have known more wars then you dare dream!"

Elrond's hands curled into fists. "Do you try to start a war between us? I have no wish to begin another kinslaying over this small matter."

"I am prepared to deal with whatever armies you dare call forth," Thranduil replied. "Make your decision and stay or leave of your own will."

"I will not set foot outside this cursed forest without my sons at my side!" Elrond snapped.

"Well then, you know where your room is. Welcome to Mirkwood."

Elrond's lip curled but Thranduil stormed past him, out the open door, and slammed it with force behind him. Elrond slammed himself into a chair, aching to smash the elf king's face into mush. Who did Thranduil think he was, daring to keep his sons from him under this ridiculous pretense?

"Have you already forgotten how torn you felt without the twins?"

Elrond jumped. He had not heard Harune enter but the elf now stood beside him. He glared at him. "I do not speak to servants!"

"I am grieved to know you treat your servants with the same disrespect as your sons," Harune replied. "It is easy to forget your previous aches and worries at the twins disappearance now that you know the twins are safe, is it not? I understand you look only to ensuring you will not lose them again but if the cause of your loss is the use of the strap, punishing the with violence to teach them not to run away again is redundant."

"You do not anything about children running away," Elrond said stiffly.

"I know more about it then you might think," Harune said unexpectedly. "Raising Thranduil was not the easiest thing for me."

"I am not in the mood to here the sad tale of Mirkwood's wretched king!" Elrond groaned.

"Wretched? Not in my eyes. He stepped into the role and has done better at guiding and realm and looking after his son better then you have."

Elrond frowned at the elf, feeling as though whatever he said would be turned against him.

"I do not intend to stay for long," Harune said. "I have tasks to tend to, and Galion cannot do them all. But let me finish my tale of Mirkwood's wretched king. I do not think you know the whole story of how I came to be his father."

Conniving, manipulative snot, Elrond thought.

"When Thranduil was born, his parents gave him to me to raise. The king and queen were busy building and guiding their realm, and they threw every concern into that, stopping only long enough to produce an heir. Having no time to raise him, they advertised for a nurse. I accepted the position. My children had grown, and my wife had died, but caring for little ones full of bright promise always gave me joy.

"As Thranduil grew older, Oropher and his wife insisted on spending an hour a day with his son. The purpose of those hours was to impress on Thranduil that, while I looked after him, Oropher was his father and king as his wife was his mother. Thranduil found the subject hard to grasp and the hours turned into dreaded time spent with two people who confused the loyalties of his own heart and disturbed him. When he final voiced his confusion to his blood parents, he was but the young age of your sons. And, like you, Oropher refused to listen. Thranduil tried to explain how he felt, but he fought a losing battle against someone twice his size and strength.

"Thranduil lost his patience trying to explain his feelings to an elf who refused to see him as an equal being, despite his young years, much in the same way you see the twins, and Oropher lost his temper with his young son. He spanked Thranduil to teach him not to . . . I was never sure what the spanking was supposed to teach Thranduil. Not to argue? Not to speak his own mind? All it taught Thranduil was to fear Oropher more then he already did. He took his injured heart and fled. He came home with me after I found him alone into the woods after hours of persuasion.

"I left the palace afterwards. I could raise Thranduil to be a healthy child with Oropher hanging over my shoulder and disrupting every lesson with his idea of physical punishment. It broke my heart to leave but it was the only thing I could do. And Thranduil wept. He defied his parents and locked himself into his room. He refused to speak or eat until Oropher called me back. I agreed to return under certain conditions and the royal couple were so desperate to have me, they agreed never to hit their son again in the name of discipline again."

"It proves you were a terrible parent," Elrond said. "Any child of mine would have received a spanking and been taught to behave."

Harune's patient face tightened into a frown and the peace of memory left his eyes, replaced by coldness. "It seems the humanity of the tale was lost on you. It has swept over your head. I see in you what Oropher would have become had I not stopped him before his spankings escalated beyond the use of his hand. I hope the valar pity you for I have none left."

The elf whirled and left the room, his soft steps suddenly heavy.

* * *

Thranduil rested his head on Harune's lap with a tired sigh, relaxing under his father's hand in his hair.

"Tiring," he murmured. "The twins are worn out from stress. It is not easy for them to be so close to the person who gave them life yet hurts them. Elrond has not changed. And now seeing this part of him I missed in Rivendell, every sense in my body screams monster."

Harune's hand sympathized in his hair. "I know, ion nin. I know. I do not know if his heart can be touched by love. Even the story I told him earlier had no impact whatsoever."

"What kind of healer is he?" Thranduil wondered. "He infuriated every be nerve in my body, made me want to strangle him! It would not be my fondest wish to have him tending my wounds!"

Harune changed the subject. "Legolas was frightened. Have you spoken to him?"

Thranduil nodded. "Yes. It was not easy for him to see my temper explode in a way it never has before his eyes. He is all right now; all tucked in bed and sleeping."

"Well, I did not doubt he would be."

"I regret sending a reply to Elrond's letter," Thranduil said. "It was a mistake I cannot fix. I should have remained in silence to his letter instead of inviting this strife into my palace."

"But your refusal to reply to his letter would have brought him here out of suspicion, if nothing else," Harune replied gently. He leaned down to kiss the soft hair under his hand. "Do not worry, ion nin, we will find a way. We always have. We must find a way to connect with Elrond, and we will search until we find it. When we do, our task will be easier. Come now and sleep. I feel as though the days ahead will be exhausting."

* * *

 **And, Harune, as usual, will probably be right.  
**

 **Thank you all for reading; I love hearing from you; your dislikes as much as your likes.**

 **Next chapter: Elrond and Legolas take an ill-fated stroll in the forest.**


	43. Switch You!

Elrond looked at Legolas in silent disapproval but the stare that made Elladan and Elrohir shrivel beneath it daunted not the bright-eyed elf boy as he walked beside him.

"How have I come to be here?" Elrond wondered.

Legolas looked at him. "Well, ada threw you outside after you yelled at him again. You were lost in the forest when I found you." He chuckled.

"Silence!" Elrond said. "It is not your place to speak of such things!"

Legolas's eyes darkened and he looked away to the snowy trees above him. He and Elrond walked in the direction of the palace, but it was still twenty or so minutes away. He skipped across a frozen stream and stood on the opposite bank as Elrond crossed without his effortless grace.

"I wonder at your father," Elrond said. "Letting you run wild in this wood. You could fall and break more then one bone easily running across frozen ice and hanging from trees!"

"Yes, or wolves could tear me apart to, I suppose," Legolas said as he plowed through the snowdrifts and plunged into the trees.

"Valar above, wolves! Do you not keep your wood safe, at least?"

Legolas grinned. "It is perfectly safe for anyone of native blood. The wolves are not hunters for elf flesh. I have seen them from my tree, running after the moose on the hunt. Their beauty is graceful and—"

"Not your tree, Legolas," Elrond corrected. "The tree does not belong to you."

Legolas's words came to a halt and he frowned. "Well, the tree welcomes me to sit in its branches, as I welcome it to hold me. I consider it my tree for mutual reasons because we have a special bond."

"Valar alone knows what kind of person you will grow up to be at this rate," Elrond said.

"It will not be worst then what the twins grow towards," Legolas said, his voice suddenly as cold as the air around them. "But you have no reason to care. I am not your son, and for that I am grateful! I could not live under your iron hand."

"My iron hand?" Elrond laughed.

Legolas shivered. The laugh reminded him of Lord Katar's cruel chuckles in response to his screams and tears. The elf lord did not have to say more but the silent words rang in Legolas's head: _my iron hand would take you from the forest, and put an end to your tree. My iron hand would beat the freedom out of you and take away your voice. My iron hand would bully you and tower over you. My iron hand would stop you from being who you are_!

"If you are cold, you might think about dressing more warmly next time you come out," Elrond said.

"I am not cold," Legolas replied. "But my insides are chilled by the horrors I hear of. You remind me of Lord Katar, and I have no wish to be around anyone who reminds me so much of the monster who hurt me. The palace is not far from here; you can find your own way back. Goodbye!"

"Legolas Thranduilion!" Elrond cried as his guide bounded into the trees and . . . vanished. He looked around him at the unfamiliar, white terrain, and chose a direction to walk in, muttering as he went.

Elrond walked for a full five minutes, seeing no signs of the palace and no sign of any elf he could ask for directions. The trees were his only company.

He let out a yell as Legolas dropped from a bough above him and stared at him.

"You are walking the wrong way," he said. "Turn around or you will end up near the Forbidden Grove and never be heard of again."

"I have a mind to take a switch from this tree here and teach you not to lie!" Elrond said, his eyes flashing.

Legolas's face hardened. "You do that and I will fight until you stop. And, unlike your sons, I will go to my father and tell him what you did."

"Can you withstand nothing without your father to stand by you?" Elrond demanded.

"Being able to go to him for comfort or protection when I need him makes us both all the more stronger," Legolas replied. "Now, do you want me to guide you to the palace or not?"

"Why have you come back?" Elrond challenged.

"I may not like you but my dislike is not a reason for me to leave you to whatever fate you stumble into alone in our 'wild and barbaric woodland'," Legolas answered. "I was tempted."

Elrond followed the elfling, feeling a brief flash of . . . admiration. The elfling spoke with wisdom beyond his few years.

"Tell me about Lord Katar," Elrond said to fill the silence.

Legolas looked up at him. "There is not much to say. Lord Katar is the human adoption father I had for many long years. He abused me. I ran to Mirkwood for ada's protection when I found the courage, and he gave it to me. We have been father and son ever since."

"I see no similarities between me and a cruel child abuser," Elrond said. "You should be careful of what you say."

"So says the child abuser," Legolas replied. "I meant what I said, Elrond. Lord Katar beat me with his hands—with whips—with whatever was within reach when he felt like making me cry. He did not pretend to call it discipline; we all knew it was wrong but no one cared. You are worst because you call your beatings discipline and deliver them not in cold rage and hatred but with what you insist is called love but is more like festering filth turned rotten inside—no, if you hit me, Elrond, because you do not like the truths I speak . . ."

Elrond dropped his hand, clenching them into fists to control his rage. Like father like son indeed! Now Legolas had turned to lying and spitting insults as well! Of all the cheek!

As the palace came into view and Legolas started to take his leave, Elrond stopped him. "If you were mine, you would receive a sound punishment—"

Legolas laughed as he skipped into the trees. "For what? For speaking my mind and poking at your feelings in so-called 'disrespect'? I may be a child but what right does that give you to forbid me to speak my thoughts when they may be as disrespectful as yours? If you lose your temper with ada and scream at him, nothing happens to you. But if Elladan and Elrohir lose their patience, you punish them! If you can make your sons live through pain, you ought to be able to live with a little of it inside you!"

Elrond opened his mouth but the elfling had vanished into the concealment of the trees with natural ease. The elf lord drew in a deep breath and marched into the palace.

* * *

"Ada?" said Legolas, his voice sleepy.

Thranduil shifted beside him. "What?"

"When I was walking with Elrond and guiding him home, he asked about Lord Katar and I answered the question. But I do not think he cared, ada, about any of it. I do not think he truly cares about anyone the way you care for me. I think he thinks he does. But I do not think he knows what love or what it is to love feels like."

Thranduil brushed a cool hand over his forehead. "I think you are right, little leaf."

"It will make it so hard for Elladan and Elrohir," Legolas said sadly.

"We will be here to help them. We will not leave their side without their leave."

"I know you will not leave my side," Legolas said, and snuggled against Thranduil's warm side, his thoughts off his mind.

* * *

They have turned into wild children, as bad as Legolas and Landion, Elrond thought as he watched his sons without pleasure in his eyes. Fighting and rolling like animals!

Harune came to look over his shoulder, down at the snow-covered ground below the high window. He smiled at he sight of the wrestling, fur-clad elflings. "Why do you look so dark, Elrond? Your sons enjoy themselves, and they remembered to take their rough play outside."

Elrond turned away from the window. "And you slave over a mantelpiece servants should be the one tending!"

Harune returned to the mantle above the hearth with his duster in hand. "This is the family room, Elrond, and it gives me joy to keep it clean for the ones I love to sit in and pass pleasant time."

The elf lord responded with silence and sat down in a chair to brood, like he had for the past five days.

"You could go out and join Elladan and Elrohir," Harune suggested gently. "Thranduil does."

"But he encourages every sense of disobedience and badness under the sun!" Elrond said. He shook his head. "No, I will sit here. And if Legolas and Landion come back from their trapeze through the forest in shreds, do not turn to me for help!"

"What did the kinslayers do to you?" Harune wondered.

"Nothing. They gave me love and comfort, food and warmth. They gave me life."

"Well, something has twisted your sense of discipline and love," Harune said.

"Spanking is a common thing, Harune. It occurs across Middle Earth in the realms of Gondor and Rohan."

"Are we humans, Elrond?" Harune demanded. "No, we are elves, and we do not lower ourselves to imitate the cruel habits of them. At least not here!"

"You should start," Elrond said. "You would be surprised at how much better off Legolas and Landion would be if you administered proper punishment!"

"Spanked children start wars, Elrond, and spill blood, human or elven with their confused emotions," Harune said sadly. "I am sorry you have someone come to be this way."

"It is I who pity you," Elrond replied. He rose and left the room, his robe swirling at his feet.

Harune stared after him with a disturbed expression on his face. He could not fix every human who thought it right to spank but when an elf lived under his roof with two hurt sons, he could not stand by and do nothing. If only he could find a way to breach Elrond's outer shell and reach within. But how?

The answer presented itself but a few short days later.

* * *

 **Thanks for reading. I love hearing from you; hates as well as joys!**

 **Next chapter: Harune finally snaps.**


	44. Snap!

The twins looked in discomfort at their father, not sure they wanted to be with him at all. They knew Elrond was free to be around them as long as he did not hurt them but that made it not any easier to bear.

"Do you miss home?" Elrond asked.

"Not very," Elladan answered. "It was not a hard choice to leave. It is never a hard choice when the place you leave behind is full of bad memories."

"How is Arwen?" Elrohir asked.

"Growing," said Elrond. "I was forced to leave her to come here to you."

Elrohir lowered his eyes. "You were not forced to come, Elrond. You came of your own will."

"Ada," said Elrond. "Call me ada."

Elrohir shook his head. "No. I will not call you ada when you are not a father to me. I will call you by your name until I feel as though you are my father."

Elrond frowned. "I see you have not been taught well here at all."

"We have been taught all we need to know," Elrohir said, taking up his pencil and returning to his drawing pad.

"You are much to old to lie there and waste your time on drawing," Elrond said disparagingly, staring at the drawing pads. "You should be at a desk learning the histories of the world you live in."

"Were we home, I have no doubt we would sit and learn from dawn until dusk and back again," Elrohir said. "But it is not so unfair here. We have a lifetime ahead of us; why should we not enjoy them? Have you forgotten what it is to be young, Elrond?"

"A lifetime is not to be wasted. What good will drawings do you in your later eons? Nothing!"

"Perhaps not to you, but it has been a vent for us during the years of torment we lived with you for, and now it gives us joy."

Elrond glared at the two elflings, not liking their calm and unperturbed attitude toward them. The more he looked at them, the more he hated it.

"Where is Legolas?" Elrond wondered. "I do not hear him clattering through these halls, at least!"

"Down in the kitchens," Elladan said with a hint of dismay in his voice. "He disobeyed Thranduil and was sent to scrub the floors."

"He will not learn to obey by scrubbing grime off the floor," Elrond said in disgust.

"You might learn something if you spent several hours contemplating soapy, dirty water, and the wrinkled skin on your hands," Elladan replied. "I would chose shoveling out the stables or cleaning the kitchen over your cruel ways any day."

"As would I," Elrohir chimed in.

Elrond stood up. "I am still your father, whether you like it or not, I will not stand by as you waste your lives over those drawing pads! Every time I see you, you are bent over it!"

"Only while the snow falls to thickly to permit us to go outside in," Elrohir protested. "Besides, what you say is a lie. We gave gone to bake pies with Harune, and play games with Thranduil and Legolas and Landion! You see what you want to see and nothing else. We are alone right now, Elrond. Thranduil is working, Legolas is working off his punishment, and Harune and Landion are busy, not to be disturbed. This is how we pass the time!"

"You are not alone. I am here, and I will not take any cheek out of either of you! Give me the drawing pads!"

Elrohir snatched the precious pad to his chest and retreated back to huddle against the wall. "No!"

"Where have your manners gone? Elrohir, do not disobey me! I am your father and what I say is the rule! Give it to me!"

"I will not give it to you," Elrohir cried. "Leave me alone! I will not let your horrible threats and tone bully me any longer!"

Elrond turned to Elladan. "Have your manners fallen to the roots of the trees making this wild forest to?"

"No," said Elladan. "But I have learned not to shrivel under your threats! Leave my brother alone!"

"Do not speak to me with such a tone, Elladan. It is disrespectful and I will not tolerate it!"

Elladan rose to his feet and stood between Elrond and Elrohir. "The way you are talking to me is in the same tone, and it is disrespectful. I will not be yelled at like I am—I am some slave to do your every bidding and worship the ground you walk on! If we must treat you with respect, the least you can do is give us the same respect!"

"You receive the respect you are due," Elrond said, meeting Elladan's fiery eyes. "You are children, and I know what is best for you. And it does not involve spending hours over these collections of useless drawings!"

"No!" Elladan cried out, grabbing Elrond's hand before his father could take his sketchbook. "Give it back! It is mine, and you have no right to take it!"

"It will be replaced with a history book; something worth your while. You will thank me later, Elladan," Elrond said kindly.

"I will not! I will burn your history book! Give me back my sketchbook, Elrond, please!"

Elladan's jaw dropped open and tears filled his eyes as Elrond hurled the book into the fire. His eyes lit up with hate and horror as the flames devoured the pages, burning them to mere ash in minutes. As the hot tears rolled down his cheeks, he turned to Elrond with his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"If this is the only way to teach you to behave, you have brought it upon yourselves," Elrond said. He let out a yell as Elladan crashed into him, screaming in outrage, his hands raking long scratches down his face.

Elrohir crawled toward the door and fled, his face white as he ran, sobbing out Thranduil's name as he made for the office. The guards who were supposed to be outside the family room were in the middle of switching shifts, and the new ones had not yet arrived.

Back in the family room, Elrond subdued his struggling son. He was bigger and stronger then Elladan, and the task was not hard.

Elladan fought against him, weeping, "I hate you! I wish you had never come here! I wish you had stayed in Rivendell! I hate you!"

"I have not got my strap with me, Elladan, but if I did, you would receive what you deserve! As it is, I will not have you talking to me like that, much less attacking me! My hand will serve just as well!"

Elladan shrieked.

Thranduil would have arrived moments too late to put a stop to the scene, but Harune arrived seconds before his son, hearing Elladan's screams as he came up the back stairs with an armful of clean sheets in his arms for Legolas's bed. He gave the linens to Landion and pushed his reluctant son in the direction of the bedchambers before he dashed to the door of the family room, prepared to deal with whatever he found.

The calm and gentle elf stopped short in the doorway, his heart ripped from his chest and the breath leaving his lungs. His eyes widened and his patience boiled away, replaced by cold fury he had not felt in . . . centuries.

Elrond held Elladan over his knees, one hand pinning the elfling down as he wept, his other rising and falling over his bare behind. Elladan sobbed, his tears dripping into a puddle on the floor.

Harune stepped into the room, his hands clenched into fists. "Leave the child alone, Elrond!"

"He deserves this," Elrond replied.

"No one deserves this!" Harune snapped. His hand fastened over Elrond's and jerked him from the chair. Elladan tumbled to the floor and stumbled out of the room, his shoulders shaking. "No child deserves to be turned over the knee of one who claims to love them and hurt!"

Elrond glared at Harune. "How dare you? He is my son, and I will punish him as I see fit! He dared speak to me with disrespect and he attacked me! Surely you see such behavior warrants punishment!"

"Not in the manner you doled out," Harune said, his voice lowering to a dangerous tone. "And perhaps not even under the circumstances. Elladan would not have attacked you without good reason!"

"I simply took away his sketchbook," Elrond said coldly.

Harune closed his eyes. They snapped open as Elrond jerked against his grip.

"I am sick and tired of your ways in this forest! You may as well be as bad as the wolves! Even when it comes to justice, you interfere!" Elrond snarled.

"I see now," Harune said. "I do not like to be faced with the ugly truth, but I see now how you must be taught. I do not like it, and it will give me no pleasure to do."

As two armored elven guards jogged into the room, curious about the disruption, Harune turned and barked out an order. As one of the elf guards left him with a startled expression, Thranduil dashed in, followed by a distraught Elrohir.

"Your bedroom," Harune said. "Elladan needs you. Elrond saw fit to punish him in a most cruel and unjust manner moments ago. I . . . will deal with this monstrosity!" He glared at Elrond.

Thranduil lifted Elrohir into his arms as the elfling's sobs wracked his body, and let the little one rest his head on his shoulder as he walked to find Elladan. His footsteps faded to Harune's ears as the elven guard entered the room again, and held out the leather strap in his hand to the king's father without a word.

"What are you doing?" Elrond demanded.

"I am punishing you," Harune said. "For your disgraceful behavior, for attacking your sons, and for speaking to me with utter disrespect!"

"You would not dare!" Elrond said, but his eyes were unsure.

"Oh, I would," Harune assured him. His free hand snaked into Elrond's hair and held him fast. The elf lord jerked as the strap hit him and twisted, fighting against Harune's grasp.

"This is how you treat your sons," Harune gasped. "And this is how I will treat you every time you disobey me! Unlike you, your sons cannot fight back against me! Since you insist on struggling, let me show you how they really feel!"

"You will pay for this!" Elrond hissed as the two elven guards gripped his arms and held him tight. "You will pay for every blow!"

"And I suppose you have paid for every blow you have struck against your sons?" Harune said, finishing off the punishment with a few last blows. "There are very few things that make me snap, Elrond, but you have forced my hand!"

* * *

 **Treating violence with violence . . . tsk, tsk, Harune. But when one snaps, what is there to do?  
**

 **Earthdragon: I was delighted to hear from you again! The Forbidden Grove is first introduced in Nin Chronicles: My Greenleaf, where Lord Katar took Legolas and Thranduil to be tortured. As for Galadriel and Celeborn, you will soon find out. Thank you so much for reading.**

 **To all my readers: Thank you for reading. I appreciate it so much, and I love hearing from you.**


	45. Arrival

Elladan snuffled against Thranduil's chest as the elf king knelt down by him where he sat huddled in the far corner of his room, sobbing.

"It is all right, Elladan," Thranduil said, his voice quiet and comforting.

"N-no," Elladan wept. "No, it is not all right!"

Elrohir looked at his twin with pained eyes as Thranduil rubbed his brother's shaking back, offering mute support.

"I am sorry Elrond hurt you," Thranduil said gently.

Elladan sniffed. "H-he burned my sketchbook. He said it would be replaced with a history lesson, something w-worth my t-time. The-the book can never be replaced! Never! All my drawings . . . gone!"

Thranduil's eyes flashed in fury. "Oh, Elladan! What have I done? Calling him here in hopes of helping him learn to love has stabbed a knife into your hearts. I am sorry."

"It is not your fault," Elladan said. "You could not have known it would be like this! Do not blame yourself."

"It cannot be undone now," Elrohir added.

"Oh that it could be, I would undo time and never answer the letter," Thranduil lamented.

"Since you cannot, I would rather you hold me," Elladan said, curling in his arms. And Thranduil complied. He turned to include Elrohir in his embrace as the elfling slipped into the room, his eyes full of worry for his twin.

"Thranduil," Elrohir said. "Do you think-do you think it was right of Elrond to spank Elladan like he did after Elladan scratched him? What would you have done?"

"I do not think it is right, Elrohir," Thranduil answered, hugging the top of Elrohir's dark head. "Legoals has scratched me on occasion and screamed and yelled and spat. But I have never, never spanked him. I have punished him, yes, for taking out his anger in an unreasonable and harmful way but not through violence. Never through violence."

Elladan sniffed. "I know I should not have attacked Elrond. But I could not stop myself. I was so angry-so upset. Elrond has always attacked us with his hand on our behind when we do something he does not like and I-I could not help myself. I wanted to hurt him. He destroyed all my drawings!" Tears filled his eyes again.

Thranduil wiped the drops off Elladan's cheeks. "I have taken things of Legolas's before but I have not destroyed weeks of his precious work. That I would not do. Both you and Elrond behaved badly, Elladan. Elrond took something of yours and burned it without fair reason and you attacked him without thought. Attacking people is not a good thing to do."

Elladan bowed his head. "I am sorry."

"I understand why you attacked him, Elladan, I do," Thranduil said kindly. "But that does not make it right."

"Are you going to punish me?" Elladan whispered.

"No, I do not think you need to be punished. You understand what you did wrong. But you should give your apology to Elrond, not to me."

Elladan's eyes flashed. "No! I do not want to apologize to him! I am not sorry for scratching him. He has never apologized for hurting us!"

"Do you want to be like Elrond?"

"No!" Elladan cried. "I will never spank my children. Never."

"Well then, you are better then Elrond, Elladan. While Elrond may not apologize to you, that does not mean you should not apologize to him."

Elladan hesitated. Thranduil continued, "But I will not make you deliver an apology you do not mean. If you are not sorry, fine, but understand what you did wrong. Do you understand what you did wrong?"

"Yes," Elladan whispered.

"Then no more needs be said."

* * *

Elrond fumed. The pain and humiliation of Harune's so called 'punishment' stung him. His fury boiled. How dare that low down servant's child strike him? Of all the things in the world, how dare Harune think he had that right?

He fumed as he slashed out an angry letter to Rivendell. It was a simple letter, and addressed a simple thing. It was time Thranduil learned who held the rein of power, and it was not he! It was time the armies of Rivendell marched to war to reclaim the heirs of its lord!

As he slid the letter into the back sheath of his carrier hawk, and tossed it out the window onto the wind, he sat back with a slight wince on his bed, a smile of grim satisfaction on his face.

It would come to war, and Thranduil would see that he had forced his hand. Maybe then he would learn! Glorfindel would come, and he, Elrond, would pluck his sons from the demonic claws of the elf king once and for all!

* * *

Celebrian greeted her parents as the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien dismounted from their horses and came to meet her.

"A beautiful, bright-eyed child of much promise," said Galadriel, running her fingertips over Arwen's small face.

"Adar, naneth, thank you for coming," Celebrian said, falling into their embrace with a grateful smile. "This misfortune is too much for me to bear alone, and with Elrond away in Mirkwood. I can only pray he finds our sons."

As she led the way to the sitting room of the house, her parents shed their travel worn cloaks to the arms of the servants. Celebrian sat down to nurse the hungry Arwen as she awoke and wailed.

Galadriel's white gown was untouched by mud or nature. She glided across the carpeted floor, and stood by the window, looking out over the valley, her golden hair illuminated by the evening rays of sunshine.

Celeborn took the seat opposite his daughter, in the chair of her husband, and leaned back, shaking his head.

"This misfortune only goes to show how free you have been with Elladan and Elrohir," he said, his voice cool and impassive. "They have not been taught to mind you as they should."

"You remember well how we raised you," Galadriel said, her voice as light as the sound of spring breeze. She came and squeezed Celebrian's limp hand. "You did the best you could, in all events, but you could have done better. You know how we rewarded disobedience, daughter, and how we would have rewarded this."

"Elrond and I were not ignorers of wrong, nana!" Celebrian protested. "The twins behaved well enough most of the time, but something drove them mad! I do not know what it was that stole away our sweet, innocent children."

"When they return, Celeborn and I will attend to matters," Galadriel said. "Elrohir's exorcism cannot have been enough to drive away demons, and Elladan should have been included to.

"There may be no demons, Celebrian. It may be they simply need to be taught manners."

"I hope Elrond comes home soon," Celebrian said, her voice sad. "I miss him. I miss the twins, no matter their faults. I loved them all the same."

"That was your mistake," Celeborn said. "You smiled once to often at naughtiness. They do not deserve to be loved unless they are good. And it is clear they do not know what good is. We will help you, daughter, and we will not go wrong with Arwen."

For some hidden reason, Celebrian suddenly shivered, and clutched her precious baby closer to her.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: How right you are in your reasoning of what Harune's actions forced Elrond to do. And I agree, Harune lowering himself to Elrond's level will do nothing to help the matter at all. When people snap, they do wild things. It was interesting to see what Harune would do when he snapped. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.**

 **Thank you all for reading; I love hearing from you.**


	46. Under Ice

Elrond finished his wine. He admitted privately the flavors of it were rich and smooth and cool but to his host he said not a word.

The moon shone over Mirkwood outside as Harune, Thranduil, and Elrond shared a drink before falling into the embraces of their beds.

The four young elflings of the palace slept.

"It is not the hardest of efforts to make, Elrond," Thranduil was saying when the elf lord broke out of his thoughts.

"Perhaps not for some," Elrond said icily. "But I, for my part, am done listening to your advice on parenting. I bid you both goodnight and go to wish my sons sweet dreams!"

Thranduil and Harune exchanged glances behind his back as Elrond marched from the family room, setting down his wine cup. He cast a puzzled look at the two guards posted outside the twins' room before he entered, closing the door quietly behind him.

Elladan and Elrohir were snuggled close together under their quilts, fingers entwined, and their dark hair on the white sheets spread out beneath them. They slept, their eyes unseeing.

Elrond felt a smile come to his lips as he walked to the edge of the bed and leaned down to kiss Elladan's cheek. As he walked around the foot of the bed to Elrohir's side, both twins suddenly jerked under their covers and murmured in their sleep, eyelids fluttering under the force of the nightmare. Elrond froze as he heard his name.

"No, ada! Please do not do it! Thranduil!"

Their keening wails sounded as they tossed under the blankets, struggling to wake up. "Stop! Stop! No! I hate you! I hate you! I will never go home with you! Never! I would rather die!"

The door to the room banged open and the two elven guards came in. they grabbed Elrond by the arms, their faces unreadable behind their helms, and lugged him out of the room. Elrond barely felt them.

What had Thranduil said? . . . _When you are the cause of their nightmares_?

Thranduil walked past him, casting a cold look in his direction before he plunged into the twins' bedroom. Standing outside as the guards released him, Elrond heard the blankets rustle and sudden sobbing as Elladan and Elrohir dragged themselves from the throes of the dream world. The gentle sound of Thranduil's voice floated to him.

Elrond turned and made for his own room.

The dawn had broken over the Mirkwood palace, spreading fresh rays. The royal family sat at the breakfast table, enjoying the first meal of the day. Elrond sat opposite the twins, the night's events cast from his mind.

"When I am done with my lessons for the morning, can I go outside?" Legolas said, swallowing before he spoke. "The snow has stopped."

"Be back in time for lunch," Thranduil said.

"Can we go ice skating on the frozen river?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil shook his head.

"But it is frozen thick!" Legolas protested.

"Legolas, you know you are not allowed on any deep body of water, no matter how frozen it is unless me or Harune are with you," Thranduil said, finishing his coffee. "I will be working; I have work to catch up on, and Harune is busy for the rest of the day, taking stock of the cellars."

Legolas poked at his food. "Yes, ada . . . But will you come tomorrow?"

"We will see what tomorrow brings," Thranduil said, rising from his chair. He looked Legolas in the eye. "And you remember what I told you about staying off the ice! Do you hear?"

"It is not fair," Legolas grumbled. "Many of my friends will be skating! I do not see why I cannot join them!"

"Because I said you cannot, and that is the end of it."

Legolas stared after his father as Thranduil strode away with a rebellious expression before he slumped in his chair and rested his cheek on the table. Harune patted his back.

"Do not worry, Legolas. The ice will not melt any time soon. It is thick and solid on the river, except over the sunny spots. Come now let me see a smile! You can help me in the cellars; I am sure there is more then one jar of maple candy in need of eating!"

Legolas brightened. He and Landion abandoned their chairs with amazing alacrity, wolfing down a last piece of toast. Harune grinned and pushed the elflings toward the door, leaving the table to Galion to clear away.

Elrond looked at his sons, noticing they stared at their empty plates and fidgeted. He felt a little pity as he remembered their haunted dreams.

"Let me put a smile on your faces with as much ease as Harune does for Legolas and Landion!" he said. "Come, put your wraps on, and I will take you ice skating!"

The twins exchanged quick glances before hopped to their feet and ran to fetch their wraps. They met Elrond at the palace gates and plunged out into the cold, fresh air lit up with sunrays.

The guards flanking the doors turned to look after them with suspicious expressions, as if fearing Elrond may be trying to elfnap the twins. Elladan offered a quick explanation.

"It is all right; Elrond is taking us ice skating on the river. We will be back in a few hours."

The guards nodded and relaxed as Elrond and his sons slid down the bank ad followed the river up. The sounds and shrieks of laughter came from down river but Elrond walked in the opposite direction with purpose. He wanted quiet; just him and his sons so they could talk, and no other elves around him whose prying ears or chatter might distract him.

The river opened up into a wide, flat area of ice as he rounded a bend. It glistened in the bright sunrays, and caused the icicles on the trees to drip. He gestured to the ice. "Shall we?"

Elrohir hopped off the bank onto the ice, regaining his balance as he slid on the slippery surface. He stayed near the edge, his eyes fixed on Elrond. The air bit his cheeks and nose and reddened them. Elladan zoomed past him with a shriek of laughter.

"We could do this at the river in Rivendell," Elrond said. "We could return home. Your mother misses you and Arwen wants to know her elder brothers."

Elrohir frowned. "Do not add this to the lies you tell every day, ada. You have little time for as at home, and every activity involves something educational. You ask nothing but what we have learned and what we know. You forbid fun because most of it is dangerous. You will not even let us fight for fear of seeing your delicate sons bruised by alien hands yet you elect to hit us with a strap.

"As for nana and Arwen, she may miss us, but she will have to continue to do so. I have no wish to return home to live in old shackles and be tied in chains. You would not let us see Arwen, much less kiss her, so do not pretend she is the reason why we should return home."

Elrond's face darkened. "Do not be difficult, Elrohir. I am not in the mood to argue."

"Neither am I. But I have the right to share my opinions and speak my truths, even if you do not speak yours."

Elrond hardly recognized his son. Elrohir's voice was calm and collected; he spoke with purpose and his eyes were determined.

"Come join me, Elrohir!" Elladan called, waving from the center of the ice. "There is so much room! And the ice flies under my feet! I feel as though I am flying! Life is no better then this!"

Elrohir turned away with a smile lighting up his face and driving away the shadows. Elladan grinned and slid to meet him, across the splashes of sunshine on the ice. His face turned to an expression of horror as a sharp crack sounded in the air.

"Elladan!" Elrohir shrieked, his voice and heart stolen with fear for his brother's life as the ice broke under Elladan's feet, and sent him crashing into the black water with a cry that made his whole body shiver.

Elrond flashed past him. Time seemed to stop for Elrohir as he heard Elrond shouting. The whole world seemed frozen except for the horrible splash of the cruel water under the weak ice.

"Run! Off the ice, Elrohir, now!" Elrond cried.

Not his voice but the sharp crack of ice breaking sent Elrohir scrambling for the shore. He collapsed onto it, his face ashen, the water licking his boots. Relief poured across him as Elrond stumbled to a halt beside him, holding a soaking wet and shaking Elladan in his arms.

Elrohir offered his cloak without a word to cover his shivering twin as he staggered to his feet, the cold wind biting into him. His hands felt numb. He could imagine how Elladan must feel; chilled to the bone and freezing in his soaked clouds. He and Elrond spoke not a word as they hurried back to the palace. Elrohir led the way to the healing wing.

"Upon the valar!" Healer Jailil cried, taking one look at the soaking and half-conscious Elladan. He snatched the elfling from Elrond, his eyes furious and accusing as he said, "What have you done now? Flung him to the river out of anger?"

"It was an accident, Jailil," Elrohir said softly.

The elf whirled and retreated up the corridor without another word. Elrohir stood frozen still before he turned for the closest comfort he could find. He buried his face in Elrond's wet wraps and sobbed, unable to think of the black water reaching for Elladan.

Elrond held him back. "You will catch a cold, Elrohir, in those wet cloths."

"There are warmed dressing gowns for both of you," said an elf, pointing up the stark white hallway to the door.

Elrond nodded his thanks and led his stumbling son by the arm into the warm room, lit by a blazing fire. A thick carpet of red colors covered the floor. A hot pot of tea waited on a small, round table. Elrond helped Elrohir out of his damp cloths and into the white, fluffy folds of the dressing gown. He changed out of his soaked wraps and tunic and jerked on his dressing gown with a relieved sigh, handing the pile of wet clothing to the first elf that came to take them. As he sank down into the first armchair, Elrohir crawled to sit at his feet.

"Have some tea," Elrond said. "It will warm your insides."

Elrohir swallowed. The thin trickle of tears on his cheeks erupted into a full river. He rested his face on Elrond's knees and wept, his small shoulders shaking. Elrond leaned down to stroke his hair. "Shh, shh, Elrohir. Elladan will be all right. He will not die. Healer Jailil is a good healer; I am one myself and I sensed the power of his ability when I saw him."

"He massaged the places where you hit us with the strap," Elrohir sobbed. "You never do that, and I do not care how many lives you saved. You have not saved ours; the lives of your family. You can heal but you do not care about pain when the person is still living!"

Can I never escape this? Elrond wondered. Wherever I go, whenever I speak, my punishments come to drag me down!

"I-I want Thranduil," Elrohir wept. "Harune . . . anyone but you!"

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Thank you for reading. Your comments were thought provoking. The idea of a council is not lost on me, and I think I will use it to resolve some issues soon. Thanks for the inspiration!  
**

 **Readers: Thanks for reading (you know who you are). I love hearing from you; loves and hates as much as any.**

 **Next chapter: Elrond and Elladan** _talk._


	47. He Let Go

Elrond reached down and pulled Elrohir into his lap. The elfling resisted little, but let his tired head drop to rest on Elrond's shoulder. As Elrond rubbed his back, he could feel the shudders running through his son but as the broken cries subsided, Elrohir fell asleep, his hands bunched into small fists and his eyes still leaking tears.

Elrond sat to ensure he was fully asleep, leaning his head back on the rim of his chair. He looked up as the door opened and Harune stepped into the room. The elf smiled at the sight of him, the gentleness of the scene not lost on him, and unfolded the blanket in his arms. As he came to tuck it over Elrohir, Elrond stopped him.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"Giving you and Elrohir a covering," Harune replied, frowning at the curt tone of his voice.

"You . . . do not think I am going to be siting here for long, do you?"

"I . . . assumed you would stay with your son while he needs you at least," Harune answered.

Elrond moved to rise. "Of course not. I wish to change. I will put Elrohir to bed and let him sleep; he will be all right."

"Oh yes, all right," Harune said, his voice quite suddenly cold. "But not fine by any means. You would abandon him so you could change. Let me have him. I will hold him while you change."

Elrond shifted Elrohir to Harune's arms without a change of expression. But as Elrohir's body left his embrace, Elrohir's arms suddenly clutched at Harune with bordering desperation, and he awoke with a wild cry of, "No!"

He looked up at Harune with confused, sleepy eyes before he let his head drop. His voice slurred as he murmured, "I was . . . dreaming. I had fallen into the river . . . but I was safe . . . Elrond was holding my hand . . . and then he let . . . he let . . . go . . ."

"I will not let go, Elrohir," Harune said softly, sinking into the chair Elrond had abandoned. "I will hold you for as long as you need."

"Elladan?" said the worried twin.

"Elladan is sleeping. Healer Jailil assures me he will not catch more then a mild chill, you brought him home so swiftly."

Elrohir nodded. He rested his head on Harune's shoulder and clasped his hands behind his neck. "When night falls, may I sleep with him? I do not want to be apart from him too long; the river almost stole him from me and . . ."

"I am sure Healer Jailil will agree to your request," Harune said. "Are you hungry?"

Elrohir shook his head. "No . . . I am not tired either. But I am worried."

"As I would be if someone I loved had come close to drowning," Harune said. "Do you want to sit here with me or perhaps you have another idea of how we can pass the time?"

"I would not mind making Elladan something nice to eat when he wakes up," Elrohir said, sitting back in Harune's lap with a hopeful expression.

"Such as?"

"Pastries!" Elrohir said.

Harune pursed his lips. "I have a much better idea. We will make pastries and fill them with cooled pudding. The shapes they can be rolled into are quite versatile. A heart might be appropriate for your brother, might it not?"

Elrohir's eyes lit up and he grinned. He slid off Harune's lap and took his hand. "Come, the sooner we do it, the sooner they will be done. And can I make some for—"

"We will make more then enough to share with everyone in the palace, should the need arise," Harune broke in with a smile as he followed Elrohir out of the room. "But we must see Galion first; there are some things that I cannot do; he will have some extra tasks."

"Oh," said Elrohir, and his voice diminished. "I—I do not want to drag you away from your work, Harune. I will not die without you."

Harune patted the top of his head. "Galion will take a pure delight in testing himself; his passion for the neat and orderly is almost equal to mine. And there is nothing we both enjoy more then trying our patience and our limits. It is time I challenged my young apprentice."

Elrohir considered. He looked up and grinned. "Be ready. Galion will accept the challenge and find a way to counter the attack."

"You young scamp!" Harune exclaimed. "Of course he will; I am ready. And it looks like we have a stop to make at your room, Elrohir. You will not be making pastries in a bathrobe. Not in my palace."

As the two elves walked down the white halls, passing the white and gold clad healers, Elrond stood in the doorway and watched them leave with a blank face. He turned and made for his room, fingering the folds of his dressing gown. He thought of Harune and a frown crossed his face as he remembered the elf's last words. His palace indeed!

* * *

Elladan cracked his eyes open, yawning. He shifted under the covers and sat up, rubbing his eyes.

"I am glad to see you feeling well and rested after a full day's sleep."

Elladan's head jerked to the side to see Elrond sitting in the chair beside him. A ray of sunshine lanced through the window, telling him it was noon.

"It is not the easiest thing in the world to fall into a freezing river and bounce back in shining colors," he answered. His eyes dropped. "Thank you . . . for saving me."

"It is what any father would do," Elrond said, watching his son closely.

Elladan brushed the hair off his shoulders. "Of course. Is there anything to eat? I am hungry."

"Elrohir made pastries for the express purpose of feeding you," Elrond said dryly. He reached for the blue and white plate on the table behind him and handed it to Elladan.

Elladan took the plate with his thanks and attacked the two heart-shaped, open pastries on the plate, filled with thick, yellow pudding, savoring the flavors with a delighted expression. He swallowed and said, "We knew not how to cook until we came here."

"Mmm," said Elrond, steepling his fingers, and feeling as though something negative was about to be said.

"You always said cooking was for servants," Elladan said, confirming his suspicions. "I would not be eating this food, made by my twin's hands, if we were at Rivendell."

Elrond sighed. "Perhaps not."

"I prefer this belief: it is good for those of noble blood to lower themselves to the tasks performed by those who wait upon them," Elladan said.

"Who said that?" Elrond asked with suspicion.

"Harune," said Elladan, biting into the second pastry.

"He would," Elrond groaned.

"I would not mind being in the kitchens with you," Elladan said frankly. "I have made many things and the cooks are wiling to help me when I need it. I helped make dinner once, and it was delicious."

Elrond hesitated. "We will see what happens, Elladan. I am not making any promises."

Elladan sighed. "I know. But we have so much time to spend. I am willing to give you the chance to be with me—to love me—to try to care. I wish you would take it."

Elrond thought of the Rivendell armies marching to Mirkwood. "We will not be here long, Elladan."

"I will stay here, Elrond, until I decide the home you will give us will be a good one," Elladan replied. "Because I do not wish to see Elrohir hurt more then he is, and I have my own heart to think of. Thranduil will protect as for as long as we ask and we both know it."

"Oh, I know it," Elrond said grimly.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Yes, Legolas would have learned something from the ice moment. As for light at the end of the tunnel, the light is there if Elrond is willing to see it. He has believed darkness is light for so long, it will take time. Thank you for reading.**

 **Readers: Thank you all for reading. Your comments and opinions always mean much to me.**


	48. He Threw A Rock

Harune leaned back in his chair, resting his bare feet on the footstool. He flipped his hair over his shoulders, resting his head against the back of the chair with a small sigh.

The twins were seated on the sofa to his left, poring over a book with Elrond's eye upon them from across the room. Legolas lay on his stomach before the hearth, a book open before him and a carefully constructed tower of cookies on a plate before him.

"You are supposed to be sharing them with us," Elladan said.

"Come join me," Legolas said.

"We are not leaving the sofa," Elladan said.

"And I am not leaving the floor," Legolas replied.

"But I want a cookie," Elrohir complained.

"Legolas, split the cookies on to two plates immediately and give the twins one," Harune instructed. "Unless you missed it, I am trying to relax."

Legolas pursed his lips as he looked at Harune with a thoughtful expression. Landion stood behind the chair with a comb in hand, applying it to Harune's open hair. Thranduil sat by the footstool, the tin of oil beside him open as he rubbed it into Harune's feet. The elfling hopped to his feet and went to retrieve a second plate without another word.

Harune leaned his head back and closed his eyes. "I wonder if a mud mask is in order."

Thranduil shook his head. "Not in this weather. In the spring."

Harune said, "I suppose you are right . . ."

"Winter will be over soon," Legolas spoke up. "And I am eager to resume my archery lessons, and go swimming in the river!"

"I am not made for archery," Landion said, working through a tangle of knots with care.

"Regardless, it is good to have a wide range of skills open to you," Harune said.

"I prefer the sword," Landion said. "And I have no time to consider taking lessons with anyone when my mornings are filled with archery lessons after breakfast and book learning before lunch!"

"Do not worry," Harune said. "You will have your lessons in the use of a blade soon enough. But swords are more precise weapons, Landion, and involve being much closer to your opponent. It involves a lot of blood and bruises. I prefer for you to be older before I put a sword in your hand."

Legolas opened his mouth as he handed the twins their plate of cookies. Without turning Thranduil said, "And the same goes for you, little leaf."

"Bother!" said the elfling and retreated to his place by the fire with a plate filled not only with cookies but with cold filled pastries as well. At Thranduil's gaze he explained, "The cook gave them to be. Um, he did say I was to give one to everyone." He looked a little wistful as he eyed the pastries, his eyes saying he would prefer to eat them all himself.

"I cannot eat one right now," Thranduil said, holding up his oily hands. "Save it for me."

Legolas nodded. As he handed round the pastries and sat back down to eat his, Harune's eyes opened, distant with memory. He smiled, grimacing as Landion pulled the comb through a knot in his hair.

"The importance of sharing," he said.

"A crucial lesson," Elrond agreed. "One children learn early with good guidance." He glanced at the twins.

"Perhaps," said Harune. "It is good to share but refusing to share is not a bad thing, depending on the circumstances. But I found some of the punishments for refusing to share most disagreeable."

The twins closed their book and put the heavy tome on the empty space beside Elladan. They looked at Harune. "Disagreeable? Maybe for you; it was less disagreeable and crueler for us. When we refused to share our toys with each other as babies or with the elflings we played with, and we refused Elrond and Celebrian's nudging's, Elrond would take us out of the room and spank us."

Elrond dropped his head into his hands and groaned.

"You should think about why you feel the way you do," Harune said, directing the elf lord with a penetrating stare. "But, speaking of such things, reminds me of a story from my very young years, and one I have remembered to this day for its morals and because it had such a large impact on my life and the lives of my parents."

Legolas abandoned his book with interest. "I have heard so little about your early years. Tell us the story! Please?"

Harune smiled. "I was not about to tease you with snippets, Legolas. Listen, Elrond, I think it may have some bearing on your life in small ways, if you are willing to see them."

Elrond sat back with an expression saying he very much doubted anything coming from the lips of the elf he despised could have bearing on his life.

Harune began, "I was an only child, and my years as a baby went by without incident for I was, on the whole, a peaceful and quiet child. My father was a soldier in the royal guard and my mother possessed life-giving magic. She tended to and healed dying trees. Both of them were believers in physical punishment, having been raised by it but they were never tested until I was as mentally old as a six-year-old human child.

"One that fateful day so many years ago, I refused to share my toys with my playmate. And, like Elrond, my parents saw a need for the first time to punish me. They sent me out into the forest to find a switch for that exact purpose.

"I was confused and for the most part dazed. For the first time in my life I doubted the love of my parents and it was difficult for my young mind to grasp. I did not understand the concept of the punishment. But I did understand that for the first time the people who had kissed my bruises and comforted my hurts were about to hit me . . . and those bruises and hurts somehow would be all right and not kiss worthy.

"For a forest, finding a switch is as simple as walking out your back door, but I wandered dazed for several minutes and in the end dragged myself home with tears in my eyes to face my parents without a switch but instead a very heavy rock.

"I faced my parents and I met their displeased expressions with one simple line. I said, "I could not find a switch, but here is a rock you can throw at me instead."

"Did they throw it?" Legolas asked.

Harune shook his head. "No. They stared at me for the longest time before my father took the rock and I braced myself for the blow. It never came. My parents came to hug me, and we all sat on the kitchen floor and cried while the bread burned in the oven.

"We had all learned a very valuable lesson that day. I learned the love my parents had for me was stronger then their beliefs, and that they were willing to find other ways to administer punishment, and they kept the rock as a reminder never to use violence to punish a wrong."

"I would have had a different ada from the one I have now if it was not for that," Thranduil said thoughtfully.

Harune grinned, the solemn atmosphere breaking up as he leaned to ruffle Thranduil's hair. "Perhaps. And now I feel magnificently rejuvenated! I do, in fact, feel like completing a fantastic bout of cleaning!"

As Harune hopped to his feet and strode from the room, calling his thanks to his sons, he did not fail to notice the thoughtful expression on Elrond's face.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading. Your comments and thoughts always mean so much to me. I would use an exclamation point but my shift key is broken.  
**

 **Next chapter-Celebrian discovers a nightmare.**


	49. I Threw Away Their Love

Celebrian sat on the bed of her sons, staring out the window. Arwen slept beside her, her face calm and peaceful despite her mother's bothered attitude. Celebrian surrounded herself with the belongings of her missing children, her heart grieved. How she missed them.

Why? She asked herself without end. Why would Elladan and Elrohir run from the people who loved them? Why? What had she and Elrond done to drive them away? The twins had been treated fairly, with love and guidance in all matters yet still they had fled. She tried to think of demons, to think of something that would have stolen her sweet elflings from her. She thought of Elrohir's teary face and the fright in his eyes without understanding where it could come from. Why? What?

Celebrian shook her head. She had no answers, not even for herself, and now she looked long and hard out the window as if dying to see Elrond returning with their children at his side. As she had done for days now.

Celebrian touched Arwen's cheek before she rose from the bed, her lavender slippers hitting the ground. The bed shifted and she heard something fall with a heavy thunk.

Celebrian leaned down and picked up the book under the bed. She knew by the leather cover it was a sketchpad and her eyes brightened. She sat cross-legged on the floor, her ears alert for any movement of Arwen's, and opened the book.

Celebrian wanted to be close to her sons, and feel them through their drawings. Her eyes opened and her mouth dropped open as she beheld the first page. What in Middle Earth?

She touched the page to reassure herself it was real, and discovered to her shock it was. She had expected to see captivating images of trees and waterfalls; of her and Elrohir lying together under the sun while Elladan drew them. Pictures of Elrond and Elladan racing uphill, smiles on their faces. Drawings of Elrohir grinning up at his twin, chewing a stalk of grass; a book full of memories of a happy family and sunny days. Of love and life.

But this . . . ?

The drawing was dark, done with vicious strokes of a pencil. It showed Elrond standing with the strap in his hand over a weeping Elrohir, as he lay helpless on a war torn battlefield. Elladan stood in armor between his father and twin, sword in hand. In the right corner of the page, a haiku floated.

I wish I could be

Your protector, dear brother,

And save you from pain.

Celebrian stared at the page, struggling to comprehend why the twins would feel this way. It made their punishments seem like some cruel form of child abuse. Shaking her head, she turned the page, and gulped.

The image here showed Elladan, turned over Elrond's knee, his hands clenched into fists. Elrond's raised hand over his son's behind showed his intentions while Elrohir's desperate face screamed a silent plea for his father to stop. Another short haiku read:

So helpless I feel

I stand by while you suffer

Unable to fight.

Celebrian flipped with speed through the book, every drawing showing similar scenes. She shuddered, unable to view any more of the scenes. She wondered what had possessed her sons to draw such dark things and express such dark thoughts. As she moved to close the book, it fell open in her lap and her eyes were drawn to the page.

The picture showed a small Elladan turned over his mother's knee in the familiar chair in the family living room. In the chair beside it sat Elrond, with Elrohir over his lap. Discarded toys lay on the floor at their feet and the small elflings wailed as they were 'punished'. The haiku pierced Celebrian's heart.

Remember the pain.

Remember your elfling years.

Remember spanking?

And Celebrain remembered. She remembered all too well as her mind flew back to her elfling years, so long ago and shrouded in mists. She remembered being spanked by her parents for reasons akin to the ones the twins were punished for. She sat and held the book to her chest as her confused and upset emotions came whirling back. Emotions she had shoved down and never voiced for they made her doubt her parents' love, and she was not willing to let the doubt seep into her mind. Emotions she tried so hard to forget for they made her feel like her parents lied about their love. Emotions she had forgotten until now.

The pictures in the book made sense, becoming horrifyingly clear as she realized what they meant. She knew why Elladan and Elrohir had fled. They had done what she never had and taken matters into their own hands. Elladan and Elrohir were _afraid_ of her and Elrond. She and Elrond had hurt their own children.

Celebrian closed her eyes on tears and rocked, wishing with all her heart she could recall Glorfindel. The elf lord had taken the armies and departed at a march when Elrond's letter arrived. But now she knew why the twins had run to Thranduil for protection. She knew Thranduil was not holding them against their will. She knew Elrond would fight for his sons, and Thranduil would fight to keep them from him. She knew elf blood would be spilled, and she wished she could stop it in time. But the journey was too far and a letter would not arrive in time.

Arwen's small wail as she awoke made her leave the book and rise to pick up her daughter. As she held the baby to her breast and sat on the edge of the bed to feed her, she vowed to do better for Arwen. She vowed she would not hurt her like she had hurt her sons.

And as soon as Elrond returned, she would make sure he understood. As soon as Elrond returned, the valar would watch and give their blessing as the strap was burned!

Celebrian hesitated. She still had her parents to deal with. And they had lived firm in their belief of discipline for centuries. How could she express her feelings to them and make them understand?

With dismay, she realized Elladan and Elrohir had been trying to make their feelings known to her and Elrond for years. And, like her parents surely would, she had not listened.

The nightmare ran deeper then she dared dream.

* * *

 **A bit of a dark chapter, I admit, but such a thing is bound to be a little shadowed.**

 **Thank you all for reading; I love hearing from you!**

 **Next Chapter: Harune loses his temper with Elrond again, and turns his own words against the elven lord.**


	50. Another Mistake

Elrond looked around for his sons. Lunch was on the table but Elladan and Elrohir were nowhere in sight. A small frown came to his face. Tardiness was not something he tolerated.

Harune reached for the platter of meat.

"Should we not wait for the elflings?" Elrond asked.

"They are building snow elves," Harune explained. "And no doubt they will be too busy to come to lunch in time. The twins, Legolas, and Landion will come inside when their stomachs call them."

"In Rivendell, we do not touch the food until everyone is seated," Elrond said in disapproval.

"Everyone is seated," Harune replied, gesturing to him and Thranduil. "We do not expect the elflings to share lunch with us."

"I do," Elrond said coldly. "Tardiness is not something to be excused. Left unpunished it grows and inconveniences everyone."

"If you insist on waiting for them when you well know I excused them from lunch, you will be hungry until they return and the food will grow cold. There are times when I tell them to come home in time for lunch and always they obey," Thranduil said. "And when they do come back, your patience and anger will have mounted with your long, suffering wait, and throw you to do cruel things. Eat."

"If they disobeyed you and refused to come home when you say, the lot of them would deserve a sound thrashing," Elrond grumbled.

Thranduil's face darkened. "I seem to have lost my appetite; continue on without me." Shoving back his chair, and stalked from the room.

Harune turned a stern gaze to Elrond. "Do not disrespect or contradict my son again; the next time it happens I will punish you. Consider yourself warned."

Elrond rose to his feet with an expression of disgust.

"Where do you think you are going?" Harune asked. "You have not been excused."

"I will not eat at this table," Elrond replied. "And I am no child who needs your permission to leave this chair! I will eat when I please, where I please, and your company is not where I wish to nourish myself!"

Harune rose to his feet. He came around the corner of the table and his firm grip closed over Elrond's arm. "Come with me, Elrond. It is clear you have not learned to speak with respect to me. I will not be yelled at, and I will not have my word disobeyed."

Elrond jerked his arm out of Harune's grasp. "I will not walk to be beaten by you. Your heart and mind is stolen by evil and, were I king, you would not be seen or heard from again."

"I do to you what you do to your sons," Harune replied, his eyes snapping. "If you consider me to be beating you, what do you call the punishments you administer to your defenseless and helpless sons? Come with me!"

"No," said Elrond, standing firm.

"Guards!" Harune called. The two armored elves jogged into the room, and took Elrond by the arms. Following Harune, they marched the indignant elf lord to the family living room.

"You monster!" Elrond hissed.

"Were you as small as your sons, you could not fight back," Harune snapped. "And I assure you, if your sons had fought against you, you would have tanned the hide off them. If this is the only way to drill it into your head, so be it."

Harune snatched the leather strap from the high shelf of the bookcase in the living room and strode to Elrond's side, his eyes hard and steel and glinting like flint but more with pity then anything else. Elrond struggled, grunting as he tried to throw off the guards, but Mirkwood's soldiers were trained and hardy, and they held him firm.

"Let this be a lesson to you, Elrond," Harune said, "To obey and respect me. I want you to grow into a good person, and this is done for your own good."

Elrond gritted his teeth as the strap struck him, vowing to strangle Harune when his armies stood at his back. He felt caged and trapped, unable to fight. But the cage would soon break, and he would leave Thranduil broken. It was what he and every barbarian in his woodland deserved for their injustice. For their king's daring to steal his sons from him!

The guards released him as the punishment ended, and Harune met his eyes as he returned the strap to its place. Elrond glowered, his heart captured in knots of humiliation and fury.

"You may leave," Harune said.

"You are not my father!" Elrond cried. "And I will not tolerate this disgraceful treatment a second longer!"

"Your backside stings," Harune said, "with the same dosage of pain you give your sons. Consider it, Elrond. If you cannot live with it, how can they? Watch your tone; do not force me to remedy your mouth."

"I will speak my mind!" Elrond snarled.

"You are free to leave Mirkwood," Harune said. "The doors are open to you."

"I will not leave without my sons. And my sons I will have," Elrond vowed.

Harune tilted his head back. "You will have them back if you learn to love and treat them fairly. They will decide when they wish to return home. Until then, Elladan and Elrohir have all of Mirkwood behind them."

As Elrond's face contorted in rage, Harune continued mildly, "Really, Elrond, your attitude is most unusual. What would you have me do? Find another way to punish you?"

"I would have you stop altogether!" Elrond cried.

Harune shook a finger. "But would you do that for your sons? No! So why should I do it for you?"

"You violate my privacy with your blows," Elrond said, clenching his fists at his side.

"Ah, Elrond, it is only just. You fully deserve the punishments you get. If you wish to stop receiving them, behave. The only way to teach you to obey is to invoke consequences sever enough to make you stop and think twice."

"I see nothing but lies," Elrond declared.

"Elrohir said the same thing to you once," Harune said softly. "I repeat to you only what you said to HIM! See how your son felt? He ran from you in his confusion, and you forced him through an exorcism that laid his heart bear and made it bleed. Do you wish for me to drive the 'demons' from your mind, Elrond?"

"There are no demons," Elrond protested.

"Ah, but there are. Those demons are making you protest your punishments, Elrond. They have stolen away the good elven lord who once walked Middle Earth."

"You talk of filth," Elrond spat.

"I repeat only what you said to Elrohir when he begged you to see it was him and no demon who spoke to you before the exorcism," Harune answered, his voice cool.

Elrond's eyes flashed though his hesitated with his reply as his mind snapped back to the moment with his weeping son in the dawns before the exorcism.

"There are no demons inside me," he said finally.

"There are," Harune said. "They are the same ones you claimed needed to be driven from Elrohir. And do you know what they are called? I will name them to you. The demons are called Freedom of voice, Opinion, Expression, and The Right To Be Heard. Those are rights we freely give adults, but which you have refused your sons. You do not listen to them, you reward their opinions and contradictions with a sharp blow, you limit their freedom, and their conversation, and stifle their talk with the chains of so called manners. I will not have it, Elrond."

With those parting words left ringing in Elrond's ears, the king's father strode from the room, his steps hitting the floor with angry force and his loose hair swinging behind him.

Elrond's lip curled as he heard the footsteps recede. With a furious gesture, and grabbed the strap from the bookcase and left the room, his heart bitter. When would Glorfindel arrive with the forces of Rivendell at his side ready to take back what was theirs?

* * *

 **Meeting violence with violence again, Harune? Tsk, Tsk.  
**

 **Earthdragon: Yes, Celebrian has finally seen through the lie she has believed in all her life. Abused children are beaten down and believe the abuse is normal as spanked children do the same. As for Elrond learning to love his sons with a full heart, I think you might be a little too optimistic judging from Elrond's reaction. Thank you for reading.**

 **A special thank you to Earthdragon for the many thoughtful comments you have left behind that have made me think about the next chapter of the story in a good way and to** **Yugiyasha96 (her stories are worth taking a peek into) whose enjoyment of the story and connection with the characters has inspired me. Thank you so much.**

 **Readers: Thank you all for reading. Everyone who has read this has contributed to the growth of My Word. As always, I love hearing from you.**

 **Next Chapter: The forces of Rivendell finally arrive to take back what is theirs.**


	51. What Will Happen Now?

Elladan and Elrohir sat on the open balcony, watching the buds on the trees brighten with color in the cold spring sunshine. The frosts and snows of winter were fading into the past, bringing the promise of summer to Mirkwood. The ice on the river below them was slick with melting snow.

Elrohir breathed in the sweet air, enriched with the scents of flowing sap and freshening earth. "It is so clean, Elladan. It makes my heart sing."

"The birds share the song of your heart," Elladan answered, pointing the blue and white form of a blue jay sitting on the twig of a branch near them.

Elrohir smiled. He turned as Elrond came out behind him. "Hello, Elrond."

"Elladan, Elrohir," Elrond greeted them, the wind blowing his loose hair. "May I join you?"

Elrohir nodded. He grinned as Elrond sat down beside him and tousled his hair. He let out a shriek of laughter and Elladan turned, his eyes lighting up as he flung himself on Elrond in a wrestle. The three elves rolled on the balcony floor in a happy heap, finally breaking apart breathless from laughter.

"Why can you not do this more often?" Elrohir wondered. "At home it took so much pleading to make you come running with us in the hills or wrestle on the grass."

"It is not proper for a lord," Elrond replied, sitting up and brushing sweaty hair off his face. "My people would soon begin to disrespect me if they grew used to seeing me muddy and running with two wild sons."

"They would not," Elrohir argued. "Thranduil swims and climbs and mucks out horse stalls, and cooks in the kitchens and no one disrespects him."

"I am not Thranduil, and neither am I from Mirkwood," Elrond said, half amazed his voice did not come out as a snap.

Elrohir opened his mouth to speak but the cry of a running elf attracted his attention and he rushed to the balcony railing to look down.

The flushed elf drew to a halt at the palace doors and leaned his hands on his knees to regain his breath before he gestured impatiently to the guards. "Open the doors; I have urgent news for the king. Lord Glorfindel has arrived at our borders in full battle armor with the armies of Rivendell at his heels!"

The two guards started and heaved the doors open. The elf disappeared through them at a jog.

Elladan and Elrohir turned to Elrond with hurt brimming in their eyes.

"How could you?" Elladan gasped. Without another word, he dashed past Elrond and fled into the palace with Elrohir beside him.

Elrond stood on the balcony, looking down like a master upon his slave, feeling bitterness awaken in his chest, replaced by sudden desire for vengeance. He looked forward to what was coming. It was what Thranduil deserved. War. He had asked for it. He turned his eyes to the sky and let a smug smile creep over his face.

* * *

Thranduil sat on the imposing height of his throne, the silver and red mantle draped over the curves of the chair. He stared down at the flushed elf standing before him.

"An army of Rivendell elves, my lord," Talion gasped, his hair mussed by the wind and left loose on the brown armor of his scout's uniform. "I brought the news at once."

"Hannon le, Talion," Thranduil said, leaning back in his seat. "I expected their arrival but perhaps not so soon. You are dismissed; have Healer Jailil see to the cut on your arm and rest for a few days. I will handle the situation from here."

The elf bowed and walked away. He glanced over his shoulder at the king as Elladan and Elrohir barreled past him. The elflings stopped at the foot of the throne with worried faces. The cut on his arm smarting, he hurried to the healing ward where Healer Jailil's touch would still the spider-inflicted wound.

"Thranduil," said Elladan in a small voice, daunted by the figure atop the throne. "What will happen now?"

"What I have prepared for," Thranduil answered, leaving his chair to kneel beside the twins. "Elrond will not win and take you without a fight. And until the day when my body lies dead, you will remain here safe."

Elladan and Elrohir reached to hug him, their lips trembling and their eyes wet. "But we do not want anyone to die. Do you know how we would feel if your people died protecting us? We do not want lives to be lost because of us."

"Neither do I," Thranduil said gently, holding their shaking bodies in a reassuring embrace. "There is much I can do to prevent a war, and I will do so."

"I-I never dreamed Elrond would come this far," Elrohir said. "I am sorry. I do not want to start a war. Not another one. If I knew Elrond would—would do this—I—I would have . . ."

"You would have still come to me," Thranduil said. "And I am glad you did for you deserved not to live in your misery. Now leave me. I have preparations to make."

The twins dragged themselves away from his embrace. They turned their eyes to his face, and Thranduil's heart tore at the fear residing there. He touched their cold cheeks and said, "Go to Harune, little ones. He will keep you safe."

As the twins' small forms disappeared from his sight, Thranduil stood tall before his throne and closed his eyes, letting out a small sigh. Elrond hurt his sons more then he realized, and shoved the knife deeper with his actions of war. He had hoped Elrond would not push too far but it seemed he had, and now . . . now he had a kingdom to protect. He strode from the throne, calling to a guard to send Hyrondal to his chambers. It had been years since his battle armor covered his body but the time to polish the gleaming suit to which he owed his life a hundred times over had arrived at last.

As he entered his chambers and looked at the peaceful interior, he wished he could stay longer. But when an army lay at his borders, it left little time to say proper goodbyes and spend a last night in the warm embrace of family. The sooner he left, the better. Thranduil looked out the window at the morning sun.

The elf king slid his arm into a silvered gauntlet, fastening the straps. He turned as the door opened, mouth open to issue Hyrondal his orders and stopped as a pale face peered into his room and Legolas drifted in.

"A-ada?" Legolas said, hesitating in the doorway, unused to the sight of his father dressed in glittering steel.

Thranduil dropped his arm, the metal clanking against his armored body. "Legolas, little leaf." He smiled. "What brings you here?"

Legolas hurled himself into Thranduil's arms. He rested his cheek on the cold metal and sobbed out, "I do not want you to go. I do not want to lose you. I have not had you for even four years yet. I cannot let you go!"

Thranduil knelt down and hugged Legolas to him. "Even through this armor I feel your warmth, tithen las, and I love you. I am not ready to leave you either. I give you my word I will come back to you, sweet one. I promise."

"Why?" Legolas sniffed. "Why do you have to go?"

"It is the way of my people for the king to lead the way to battle," Thranduil replied. "I will not stay in these halls and send our people to die without me at their side. If they will risk their lives for their homes, so will I."

Legolas clung to him, his face buried in his father's loose, messy hair.

"I must leave, Legolas," Thranduil said gently, giving Legolas a little nudge. "It would be an honor if you will comb my hair and put my crown on for me."

Legolas released him, wiping his eyes and nose. He met Thranduil's gaze with a tiny smile as he ran to fetch the comb but his blue eyes were still sad. Thranduil sat while Legolas smoothed his hair in preparation for the royal crown of twisted red leaves and buds.

Hyrondal entered the room with a short bow, a sad smile on his lips at the scene. His hand rested on the sword at his belt, clanking against the vanguards he wore. His lithe body shone with steel and a cloak hem swung at his heels. "My king," he said. "I await your orders."

"A small company of elite guards to accompany us," Thranduil said. "You will ride with me. Assemble three hundred of our warriors to leave in fifteen minutes. Supplies will be needed."

Hyrondal nodded, fighting back a smirk. "It is already done, my king. And the scouts on border patrol?"

"Leave them on duty, normal shifts," Thranduil said. He stood and reached for his cloak, swinging the heavy blue folds around him. He reached down to kiss Legolas's cheek before he waved and strode from the chamber.

Legolas sighed and clutched the comb to him, curling into the chair to let a few unhappy tears slip free down his cheeks.

"Elrond wishes to ride with us," Hyrondal said. "Is he to be given permission, my lord?"

"Of course," Thranduil answered. "Let him see the twins will not be taken from him without a fight."

The three hundred armored warriors, carrying swords and bows, were already assembled when Thranduil took the reins of his moose and stepped onto its broad back. Hyrondal mounted the black horse beside him with Elrond at his left, and lifted the curved horn to his lips, blowing a long, echoing blast. As the elves moved with unified movement, marching with speed toward the borders, Thranduil cast a last look back at his family standing on the balcony behind him, outside the palace's great front doors. Harune lifted a hand and waved.

Thranduil closed his eyes, the sight of the twins' drawn faces imprinted on his eyelids, and Landion's longing expression for his return touching his heart. Ada, keep them safe, he thought.

The company plunged into the trees, leaving the formidable walls of the palace behind. Thranduil settled into the lead position with Elrond and Hyrondal flanking him, and a dozen guards riding directly behind him. The sound of steel and marching feet carried on his wake spoke of war and conflict while the budding trees looked on without word, and the elves of Mirkwood watched their king ride past with faces full of hope for his return.

* * *

Erestor clenched his hands on the balcony railing as he gazed out over Rivendell, his lips pinched into thin lines. It was not the paperwork in his office that antagonized him or the presence of the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien. No, it was not easy to watch Glorfindel leave with an army behind him to start a war between elves at the border of Mirkwood.

Erestor knew now what had transpired in Thranduil's realm to prompt Elrond's letter demanding his armies march. He knew Elrond wanted his sons back. He knew for some reason the twins would not come home. But he doubted Thranduil kept them in his home against their will.

The elf turned as the bead curtain hanging over the door rattled and a woman came out with a tray.

"Ariel," Erestor said with a smile.

"You must be hungry," the elleth said, setting the tray down on a small table. "I made you some sandwiches."

Erestor brushed a stray lock of dark hair off Ariel's face and looked into her eyes before he broke away with a start and sat down to eat. "Hannon le. That is very thoughtful of you."

Ariel sat down opposite him. "I am a cook, you know. I look after the stomach."

Erestor grinned. His eyes returned to the valley below and the smile vanished. Ariel sighed with him. "I know how you feel. It does not seem right starting another war between elves. I-I almost wish Thranduil would step down and release Elladan and Elrohir."

Erestor thought about the heirs of Rivendell and came to a grim decision as he bit into his sandwich. "I do not wish to see their eyes so dull again. I do not wish to see another war between elves again. But if it comes to pass, so be it."

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Indeed you are right about Harune. I thought at first at having Thranduil be the one to lose his temper but then I realized not everyone is perfect, even Harune, and having him treat Elrond with such unfairness gave him a chance to grow. Harune was not raised with spanking.**

 **Thank you all for reading; your comments and thoughts or even a few words mean so much to me!**


	52. Black Magic?

Thranduil's ride to the border ended a few days later. A sturdy row of elven scouts made a line in the tree boughs, staring with tight faces at the assembled camp before them, out on the grasslands. Each one of them held a longbow, a nocked arrow held between their fingers to the bowstring.

The scout leader dropped from his tree and bowed to Thranduil. "My king, the enemy has made no moves to attack us as of yet. We await your orders."

Thranduil nodded. He beckoned to Elrond and his dozen guards to accompany him forward. Hyrondal turned his horse at a brief nod from Thranduil and galloped into the trees.

The fourteen elves nudged their mounts out past the las great tree trunk and emerged onto the open plains. The smoke from the fires among the neat rows of tents drifted in the air. At their approach, a cry of warning rent the air as the elves scurried into formation, their armor glistening in the noonday sun.

A white horse emerged from the camp trotted forward. Thranduil held up a hand to stop his company at Glorfindel's approach. The white horse stopped before him and the elf lord gave a quick dip of his head to his Elrond before he hailed Thranduil.

"It is time you arrived," Elrond said, prodding his horse forward.

Glorfindel closed his eyes. "I am not here by choice," he said. "I am here because I follow the orders of my lord though I have no desire to begin a war."

"Greetings," said Thranduil. "You will not start a war, Glorfindel, for I will see to that. My borders are no place for blood to feed the grass while I sit on the throne."

"And I wish you could do what the confidence in your voice suggests," Glorfindel said with a hint of pity in his eyes. "But I do not think you will have much choice in the matter."

The balrog slayer sat firmly on his mount, the silver of his horse's rein straps and saddle fastenings shining. Flames streaked across the breastplate of his chest, emblazoned onto the unblemished metal. His loose hair covered his shoulders while his helm was tucked under one arm. A horn hung at his belt, accompanied by a sword. Behind him the hundred rows of elves made three wide squares of steel force, hiding the camp behind them.

"Have more faith," Thranduil said, sitting back on his mount.

Elrond turned to the elf king, wheeling his mount to face him. "Thranduil, the choice to start the war is mine, but you have the power to prevent it. Give me back my sons and I will depart with them and my army. There need be no bloodshed."

Thranduil looked out at the Rivendell forces. Glorfindel scrutinized his face with hope but the sight of the army did not appear to daunt him. The elf king shook his head.

"As I knew you would summon forth these armies, you know I will not back down," Thranduil said. "The twins have my protection, and force will not sway me."

Glorfindel sighed. He had no wish to spill elven blood. "Elrond, be reasonable. I beg of you, do not bring this to pass. I will not spill elven blood. If you wish to start a war, you are the one who must order it. I will not lead elves to battle against elves."

"Thranduil is the one on whose shoulders this war will lie," Elrond replied. "You know why this must be done!"

Thranduil smiled. "Do not worry, no elven blood will be spilled on my watch."

Elrond and Glorfindel both looked at him, eyes suspicious and wondering at what the elf king concealed beneath his casual attitude. Glorfindel snapped to attention as a horn blast blew from the forest lines, and the elves behind him shifted to defensive positions with a loud crash of moving armor.

Thranduil glanced over his shoulder and nodded to his guards to retreat to the forest line. The dozen horses turned and galloped out of sight into the trees. Thranduil met the eyes of his enemies.

"You have a choice, Glorfindel. You can stand where you are and suffer the consequences of a poor decision or you can accompany me into Mirkwood. I know you harbor not the desire to begin a battle here and there is nothing to make you unless you chose to."

Glorfindel hesitated. He could not leave his men alone on the fields without him but if he stayed, he knew Elrond push him to attack. He turned his mount to face the elves behind him. "I have brought you this far but I will not lead you into battle. Whether you follow to pierce elven hearts with steel remains on your shoulders; I resign." He nodded to an elf who stepped forward from the front line. "Advil, I leave the army in your hands."

The elf's eyes were confused for the shock of his sudden command status dropped upon his shoulders like a dead weight. He watched Glorfindel follow Thranduil's gesture and head his horse into the forest line, where the trees soon swallowed him.

Thranduil turned to Elrond. "You will stay with your armies?"

An unsettled feeling sank into the pit of Elrond's stomach. His eyes narrowed as he stared at Thranduil, wondering what sorcery he would employ to stop the war. After a moment, he screamed out a sudden command, "Attack!"

Thranduil muttered something and dug his heels into his mount. The moose wheeled and shot toward the tree line, skirting under a sudden rain of arrows. The missiles pinged off Thranduil's armor and succeeded not in denting it. The moose stretched out ahead of Elrond's horse as the elf chased the king back toward the forest, the elves advancing in swift lines behind him.

Hyrondal stood poised and ready at the border. The moment Thranduil's moose galloped past him, the clear notes of his horn rang out. Thranduil reined in his mount and leveled Elrond's gaze.

"Behold," he said, "My means of preventing a war."

Elrond sat poised for action but no army of silvan elves came marching from the forest. No rain of arrows came pouring from the skies. He frowned in confusion, thinking perhaps Thranduil pulled his mind strings for a private joke.

The sound of clear elven voices singing and the high notes of pipes drifted to his ears, high pitched and sweet. The alluring noise rose to an higher pitch and caused his ears to ring. But it reminded him of clear pools and mist rising in the sunshine . . . he could almost see Celebrian smiling at him from a pillow of foam, the silk and satin layers of her dress slipping away like water over the beach . . .

A mist seemed to be gathering in the trees and the thick white fog rolled behind the borderline, blocking out all sights. It leapt up to hide the trees and blocked his eyes from his army as he came back to himself. The mist thickened into a fog bank, growing in depth. As the mist rolled toward them like waves of water, the Mirkwood elves retreated before it as it deepened, swallowing the trees. As his horse shied away, Elrond heard the alarmed cries and shouts of his men. The white cloud stretched out for as far as he could see and still it moved on. The high notes of voices and pipes continued, conjuring more illusions.

Glorfindel turned to Thranduil in sudden fear. "What have you done to them?"

Thranduil tightened the reins in his hands. "The Mists of the Forbidden Grove send any elf caught within them into a semi-conscious trance and finally sleep. Your people will stumble around in a daze if they try to enter my wood until I order the mists banished or until you agree to leave and return to Rivendell. I will not have violence taint my realm."

"Never!" Elrond spat, his face purple with rage. He could not believe some form of evil had brought such dreams of his wife to him."My men will make it through your cloud of black magic!"

Thranduil shook his regal head. "I do not doubt some of them will find their way out. That is why my men will be waiting from them on this side to take them captive." He gestured to the row of elven warriors behind him, lining the branches of the trees and standing in a solid line on the ground.

"You will come with me, Glorfindel," Elrond snarled. "I will need your assistance in unraveling this insidious dark magic." His hands pulled tight at the reins.

"Have a little care, Elrond, before you tear out your horse's mouth," Glorfindel cried.

"Come, Glorfindel, despite the commands of your lord. You will be made welcome in Mirkwood, I assure you, and the twins could use a familiar face not of their own blood." Thranduil turned his mount.

Glorfindel nodded, his eyes resting with curiosity on a dozen or so elf maidens who stood with Mirkwood's warriors, their voices raised to a painfully high pitch while their companions played at the pipes behind them. The thought of brilliant sunsets and water crashing over rocks to a moonlit pool below sprang into his mind . . . pure bliss with a glass of the finest wine . . .

Glorfindel shook his head and brightened at the mention of the twins, wondering how they found themselves. At the least, it would be good to see them. He glanced at Elrond; able to tell the elf lord was seething with barely contained rage.

Thranduil called an order to his head captain as he clicked to his mount and headed back into the trees. "Look after them, Hyrondal. Not a drop of blood is to be spilled. And my congratulations on the successful harnessing of the Forbidden Grove's mists."

"Hannon le, my king. It was not hard once we realized what it was that made the mists move. After stumbling around the Forbidden Grove looking for you all those years ago, I was curious to see if it could be used," Hyrondal called. "A few of the elves may wander of out the mists but it will not anything we cannot handle. An immediate report will find its way to your desk in the event of drastic change."

The trees swallowed the three riders, leaving three hundred Mirkwood elves on vigilant lookout, ringed around the fogbank.

* * *

Erestor slept. He knew he should be awake and a nagging doubt poked at the back of his mind as he slumped in his chair at the desk with one arm across his face and the other dangling. Paper and more paper and more paper . . . he dreamed of paper. And Ariel. The love of the valar for a few of her cakes. Energy. He needed energy.

The door opened and Erestor jerked upright as Lady Celebrian swept into the room with a quiet bundle in her arms.

"Hiril nin," Erestor greeted her, smothering a yawn.

"You are tired," Celebrian said. "Take a break and get some rest. I will finish up in here."

Erestor's eyes slid to Arwen in amazement. "But surely . . ."

"If you will bring me the cradle from the family room and put it by the desk," Celebrian interrupted. "It is time the Lord and Lady did a little more behind the desk to hold the weight of the realm. I may be a Lady but it is my right and duty to lead my people in more ways then hosting fine parties and displaying my jewels."

"Of course," Erestor said with a bow, saying the first words in his boggled mind. He brought her the cradle and said, "If you need me, I will be happy to assist you in any way."

His light step and springy, Erestor threw off the weight of Rivendell and headed to the kitchens to beg Ariel for one of her cakes.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Yes, Glorfindel, Elrond, and Thranduil now have the option of sitting down to talk. You have now seen what Thranduil has up his sleeve. It is, in a way, almost tree related. Thank you for reading; your thoughts on each chapter are inspiring.  
**

 **Readers: Thank you all from reading. I love hearing from you; your peeves as well as that which makes you smile.**

 **End Notes: The Forbidden Grove and its mists come into play first in Chapters 2, 4, and 10 of Nin Chronicles: My Greenleaf, and are mentioned within My Word.**


	53. I Saw Their Souls

Thranduil slid off his mount with a small sigh and handed the reins of his moose to the amused elf standing at his side to receive them. He scratched the animal behind the ears before leading him away. The horses of Elrond, Glorfindel, and the dozen guards trotted away under the guidance of their elven leaders.

Thranduil stretched his arms and yawned, feeling tired after the long ride. He looked up at the star-filled sky above him as he walked across the stone bridge toward the palace doors. They opened at his approach and Harune walked out.

"Ada," Thranduil greeted him, gesturing to Glorfindel. "I have brought home a guest. The situation at the borderline is well under control; the mists worked."

Harune scanned his tired face and reached to hug him. "Come, I will help you out of the armor. Glorfindel, welcome to Mirkwood. I understand you will want to rest; if you follow my son and I, I will take you to your room. But first, Thranduil, it is good you are back. The twins and Landion survived well enough but Legolas . . ."

Thranduil closed his eyes and tried not to think about what had transpired in his absence.

"He did not turn wild," Harune assured him. "But he refused to sleep without your feel around him."

"I do not mind if he is in my bed," Thranduil said, striding past his father and making his familiar way through the winding paths and branches toward his chambers. Harune stopped him.

"He is not in your bed, ion nin," Harune said. "I tried to convince him but he refused. He sleeps curled in your throne with a pillow and your silk mantle."

Thranduil tried to imagine the picture and a small smile came over his tired face. Shaking his head, he walked to retrieve his son who could not be comfortable curled in the great chair.

Glorfindel trailed after them, aware of Elrond's glowering aura. The elf lord simmered, in danger of boiling over. He kept an eye on him, hoping he could calm him down when he had regained his strength after resting. Thranduil stepped up onto the throne platform after the last stair and gazed at his son with an amused chuckle. Legolas' form was curled on the seat of his throne, tangled in layers of rippling silk mantle, with a pillow on the armrest under his head. As Thranduil leaned over him and touched his cheek, shaking him gently, he mumbled, "Leave me alone, Harune, I want to sleep, and I do not want to sleep in a bed."

"It is me, little leaf," Thranduil said softly.

Legolas jerked awake, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. His face lit up with a smile and he wrestled against the folds of the mantle to fling himself into Thranduil's arms. Tears dripped down his cheeks as he buried his face in the crook of Thranduil's neck and choked, "Ada. I missed you so much—I-I was scared you would not come home—"

Thranduil patted his back. "I will always come home to you, ion nin. Always. It is a promise I will keep to my dying breath. Now come; we are both equally tired."

Harune helped untangled Legolas from the folds of the mantle. He draped the rumpled silk over his arm, picked up the pillow, and led the way to Thranduil's chambers. Thranduil went ahead with Legolas in his arms while Harune stopped to point to the door opposite Elrond's room in the hall.

"Your room, Glorfindel," he said. "If you need anything, I will send Galion to help you."

Glorfindel shook his head and, as Harune slipped through the open door to Thranduil's chamber, he escaped hastily into his own room before Elrond could set upon him, locking the solid door.

"Glorfindel! Are you not even on the side of your lord?" Elrond cried, kicking the door in frustration.

Glorfindel contemplated answering but a voice stopped him, the low tone coming through the door to his ears.

"There are children sleeping, Elrond. Have some respect." The voice was cold and icy. It took Glorfindel some time to place it.

With a start he realized it was Harune.

* * *

Glorfindel stepped from his room, dressed in the fresh clothes delivered to his room, his blond hair still wet from his hot bath. He closed the door behind him and wandered down the hall in search of breakfast.

Harune bumped into him at a turn and smiled. "The dining room is this way; follow me."

Elrond sat at the table in comparative silence in the wide dining room while Elladan and Elrohir chattered, squirming in their chairs, and another elfling sat ramrod straight opposite them, trying to resist the temptations of a pile of honey cakes.

Harune slid into his seat, gesturing to the chair to Elrond's left. He said, "Elladan, Elrohir, a friend came to see you."

The twins looked at Glorfindel as he sat down beside Elladan and their eyes lit up at the familiar sight of the elf. "Glorfindel; we did not know you had come."

"You were sleeping when I arrived last night," Glorfindel said, smiling. He squeezed Elladan's hand under the table; relieved to see the eyes of the elflings were bright. "It is good to see you."

"This is my son, Landion," Harune said, introducing the third elfling as the elves indulged in the hot breakfast.

Landion's blue eyes ran over Glorfindel's face before he said, "Legolas told me about you when he returned from his visit to Mirkwood." As the name of his nephew rolled off his tongue, he turned to Harune and asked, "Ada, where are Thranduil and Legolas?"

"Sleeping. Thranduil is tired from his journey and Legolas slept badly in the throne over the past few days. I expect they will feel rested enough to greet the day on their feet in a few dawns more," Harune answered. He pushed back his chair. "Excuse me; I have work to do. Landion, lessons in five minutes; your teacher is expecting you in the library."

"Valar!" exclaimed the elfling, jumping from his seat and calling back his excuses. He raced from the room ahead of Harune.

The twins exchanged glances before they left their seats, repeating the proper excuse me, and departed the room, their dark hair glistening in loose waves over the backs of the their blue tunics.

Glorfindel looked at Elrond as the elf complained, "Look what this wild kingdom has done to my sons; ruined them."

"They look happy to me, Elrond. Happier then I saw them in Rivendell. Their eyes shine with light shadows stole from them."

Elrond pushed back his plate and leaned back in his chair. "And now even my own friends stand against me."

"I am not against you, Elrond," Glorfindel said. "I came all this way with an army of warriors at my side, knowing well your intentions. My loyalty is not displaced. But even though you are my friend and lord, there are some things in you I do not like."

"My ways are not wrong," Elrond said stiffly. "They are looked upon by the valar."

Glorfindel rose. "Excuse me, Elrond. I cannot discuss this with you until I see the whole picture. I would like to speak with Thranduil and the twins before I choose my ground."

And he left Elrond simmering in his chair.

Glorfindel made it his mission to track down the twins and found Elladan and Elrohir standing in the cold wind, wrapped in their cloaks, at the railing of the balcony overlooking the main gates. They turned at his entrance, their cheeks red. For several minutes the three elves stood in silence, leaning their arms on the railing and looking down at the rushing waters of the river snaking by below.

"Are you angry we ran away?" Elladan asked suddenly.

Glorfindel met his curious eyes. "Well, you kept me awake long nights looking for you but . . . I am not angry. I realize you both did what you had to do to find the help no one else could offer you in Rivendell. Or perhaps there was help you did not ask for."

Elladan looked down. "We . . . we could not ask you to protect us from Elrond, Glorfindel. You are his friend of many years and we were afraid you—you agreed with his methods of punishment. We could not ask Erestor or nana. We could not even ask the parents of our closest friends for fear Elrond would have them thrown into the dungeons for defying him. We needed someone with—with more power. Someone who could stand in Elrond's path and drive him back."

"Driving him back helps little," Elrohir said, his voice downcast. "He will not learn from Thranduil or accept his help. Driving back will keep the father we love from us and—and that hurts."

"Elrond is stubborn and set firmly in his beliefs," Glorfindel agreed.

Elrohir clenched his fists like he was holding a stick. "I wish I could uproot him. We have tried everything from begging to asking nicely but he does not want to even try. It is hard to live with him here but he will not even return home. I wish he could make up his mind and either stay and learn from Thranduil or go home to nana and leave us alone."

"Would you survive without him?" Glorfindel asked.

"We are prepared to live with a father who loves us and shows it without contradicting his word with spankings or not at all," Elladan said grimly, and he sounded as though he meant it.

Glorfindel nodded. "I see. It is Elrond's punishments that drove you from home."

"Yes," said Elrohir. "They were wrong and they hurt us. Even if he used his hand like he did when we were little it would still be wrong."

He and Elladan shivered and made for the door with Glorfindel behind them. As the trio walked for the warm living room, Elladan said, "We-we hoped you might talk to him. He will not listen us because he thinks our minds are too young to understand what we speak of. He will not listen to Thranduil because he hates him. He will not listen to Legolas or Landion either. And he will not speak to Harune unless he has to because Harune . . ." Elladan's voice trailed off and he cleared his throat.

"Harune . . . spanks him with a strap when Elrond does any of the things he punished us for."

Glorfindel's face registered shock.

"It is what Elrond did to us. We do not like it and Harune does not either. He only did it twice," Elladan said.

"His patience snapped with Elrond," Elrohir said. "But Elrond does not realize we feel the same angry emotions he does now and plows on ahead, hating Harune as much as he can. Anyway, we were hoping because you have known Elrond for hundreds of years, you could talk to him and . . . convince him to leave us behind forever or stay and learn to love us if he even can."

Glorfindel's heart broke as he looked into Elrohir's pleading eyes. He could almost see the poor elfling on his knees begging with hot tears on his cheeks, and the thought banished from his mind the matter of Harune spanking Elrond.

"I will speak to him," he promised. "I hope I can help you."

The twins hugged him around the waist. "Hannon le, Glorfindel, hannon le. It means more then you know to us."

Their broken voices and the desperation in their arms as they hugged him gave Glorfindel a fine idea of how much it meant to the twins as he knelt to embrace their trembling bodies and let his reassurance and calm flow to them. And for a moment he shared in the twins' desperation as he hoped he could sway the iron will of belief in his lord.

* * *

Erestor and Ariel leaned back against the smooth rock, finishing the wine in their cups. A bright quilt underneath them was lit up by the setting sun. Blowing grass danced in the wind. Ahead of them, the hills plunged down toward Rivendell. The pair watched the sun set in purple and gold streaks over the valley.

Erestor put down his cup and looked at the woman beside him. Ever since Celebrian had helped with the office work, he had had free hours every day to spend with her. He met her in the kitchens by the stove and nothing to him was more beautiful then watching her take crackling loaves from the oven and turn to face him, her face flushed and eyes bright.

Erestor took Ariel's hand in his and met her eyes as she looked at him.

"You will marry me," he asked, cramming the ring onto her finger in a sudden burst of nervousness. "No, I mean . . ."

He broke off as Ariel stared at him with surprised eyes and his stomach fluttered in sudden uncertainty. He suddenly knew why snails curled into their shells.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: I considered giving the Mists more power but then I realized I might make them too powerful, so I limited it to effecting elves. It is a pity but it was, I think, a good choice. I wanted to have Thranduil using the power of nature because he has always been more connected to it without a ring. Thank you for reading; I love reading over your thoughts.**

 **Readers: Thank you all for reading. I appreciate it so much. Your likes and dislikes are always inspiring to me in deciding where to go next!**

 **I apologize for this update coming a day late but I was celebrating my birthday and the day flew past me without me noticing it. Thank you for your patience. 2,500 word chapter to make up for it!**


	54. I Know My Place

Harune smiled at Glorfindel. "Yes, Thranduil is fine, hannon le for asking. He will be touched by your concern."

"Elladan and Elrohir seemed convinced he would be out of bed this day," Glorfindel explained, opening the door of the linen closet for Harune. "And I . . . wished to speak to him."

Harune deposited his armful of linens and closed the door of the closest. The halls were dim in the early dawn after breakfast, the stalwart forms of the dutiful guards standing at their posts. "Of course. I have sent the twins and Landion to the library to engage in their own activities. Thranduil is in his chamber; he will be happy to see you there."

Glorfindel nodded. "Hannon le, Harune."

He hesitated in the hallway, looking at the sure figure of the elf before him, his quiet personality covered in a simple robe. He felt at ease and at home around Harune, as though he had known him all his life instead of a few short days. "You know . . . Elrond never spoke highly of you, even before we knew you. He believed you had spun lies to Thranduil's young mind and turned him against his father."

Harune's eyes were amused. He tilted his head. "Yes, Elrond . . . made his opinion of me clear on his arrival here. And you, Glorfindel? What do you think?"

"I think Thranduil made his choice without manipulation or influence. I think it was honest and he made it well."

Harune smiled as he regarded the balrog slayer. "Thranduil and I feel the same way. Now, you will excuse me; I have work to do, and Thranduil is in his chambers. Do not knock before you enter; you would not want to awaken any young elflings with him."

Glorfindel nodded his thanks before he turned and retreated up the hall to Thranduil's chambers. He stopped to knock out of habit and stopped himself as he remembered Harune's words. Feeling a little self-conscious, he turned the polished doorknob and stepped into the room.

The curtains were drawn back to admit the morning rays of sunshine. It spilled over the silken carpet threads and the dark wood of the table against the wall. The dresser and wardrobe were made of the same wood. A chair faced the empty hearth, with Thranduil's clothes flung over the back. The king's crown rested on the lace cover of the dresser, majestic even without its bearer. But the biggest piece of furniture consisted of the canopied bed, with four twisted posts and a carved headboard. The sheets were white, and the blankets on top blue and light pink.

Glorfindel cleared his throat as he entered, and the shape of Thranduil's form under the blankets moved as the elf king looked up. A pillow was under his head, with his crooked arm beneath it. Legolas lay snuggled against his side, asleep and peaceful while his father's hand caressed his hair. The blankets came up to Thranduil's waist, and his golden hair covered one shoulder.

"Ah, Glorfindel," Thranduil said, keeping his voice low. "Harune told me you might come by. Sit down." He gestured to one of the chairs he faced at the table opposite the long end of his bed.

Glorfindel nodded and sat. "I came—"

At that moment Legolas stirred, crying out in his sleep, and he fell into silence as the elfling's blue eyes came into focus.

"A-ada?" Legolas murmured, shifting to rub the bleariness out of his eyes.

"I am here, little leaf," Thranduil assured him, reaching down to brush the hair off his son's face. Legolas blinked up at him and rolled into his embrace.

" 'Nother nightmare," Legolas mumbled into Thranduil's shirt. "I cannot seem to stop having them. They will not leave me be. All my dreams want to do is remind me Elrond could have taken everything away from me and—and left me abandoned in the shadows again."

"Not as long as I live and the mists of the Forbidden Grove swirl," Thranduil said, wrapping both arms around the elfling and hugging him close.

Legolas squirmed. "The nightmares keep growing worst, ada. I-I am scared."

"You do not need to be scared," Thranduil said gently. "And if you must be, I am here to help you overcome your fear."

Legolas hugged him. "I dreamed—ada—I dreamed Elrond killed you. And Harune. And—and I do not know what he did to Landion. He left Mirkwood-home-burning—and he took me with him to Rivendell with his army. He made me his ward, and he—he treated me the same way he does his son—he beat me like he does them, and you were not there—and I saw Lord Katar again—and I felt all the old pain—and all I wanted was you." His voice choked off into a sob.

Thranduil clicked his tongue, upset by his son's distress and sat up to hold Legolas in his lap, and rub the elfling's back. If he was uncomfortable by Glorfindel's curious eyes, he did not show it. Legolas sniffled but Glorfindel noticed, for all that Thranduil liked not to see tears in the eyes of his child, he did not tell Legolas it was all right and not to cry. He let Legolas's tears flow until they stopped of his own accord and the trickle dried on his cheeks.

"I am sorry I upset you, ada," Legolas said, wiping the tears off his cheeks as he met Thranduil's sad eyes.

"It is all right, Legolas," Thranduil said, leaning down to kiss him. "I share your grief. If you are upset, my heart feels your pain."

"It-it does not have to," Legolas said.

"It does," Thranduil replied. "It is one of the many ways our bond brings us together."

"I do not think Elrond and the twins feel each other's pain," Legolas said, resting his cheek on Thranduil's chest.

"No," said Thranduil, "He does not. If he could feel the agony every spanking he gave them, the bolt of pain would be too much for him. But if he could feel it the way I feel your pain, I do not think he would hurt them anymore."

Legolas blinked as his eyes fell on Glorfindel and he gave a small smile. "Maybe not. What is he doing here?"

"He came with the armies of Rivendell," Thranduil answered. "And elected to join us here in the palace. He means well."

"Oh," said Legolas. "Are the twins all right?"

"As all right as they can be," Thranduil said, and Legolas nodded. "Now, Glorfindel, you came to tell me something?"

"Indeed," said the elf with a dip of his head. "I wanted to hear your side of the story and know where you stand on the matter of the twins."

"I stand at their side," Thranduil said. "And I will be there for as long as they need me. Where do you stand, Glorfindel?"

"I cannot say," said the elf. "I would rather hear you relate the tale so I may judge it from another viewpoint. I have spoken to Harune, and the twins, and Elrond, but you."

Thranduil settled back down into the bed. He related the story with Legolas's voice chiming in to add to it from beginning to end. As he finished, Glorfindel decided, "I had already reached a decision but it is sure now. I will help the twins."

And both the fair-haired elves facing him smiled.

* * *

Hyrondal stood with his arms crossed and looked down at Advil. The leader of Elrond's army stood before him stripped of his weapons. He had made his way through the fogbank and stumbled out to be accosted by the waiting Mirkwood warriors.

"You are King Thranduil's captain?" Advil asked, his eyes wandering over the trussed up elves around him. At least he knew what had happened to most of the scouts he had sent into the fogbank.

"Yes," said Hyrondal. "My King has no wish to quarrel with you. I advise you to return to Rivendell."

"I cannot leave without the permission of my lord," Advil replied, lifting his chin in defiance.

"Your lord is a bloody child abuser," Hyrondal snapped. He broke a branch from the closest tree and held it under Advil's nose. "He used a leather version of this to beat his sons when they disobeyed him. Elladan and Elrohir fled Rivendell because they feared him."

"You lie. Elrond is a healer."

"I wish I lied," Hyrondal admitted. "But I am afraid I speak the truth. Elrond refers to his little punishments as spankings. Elladan and Elrohir could not live with being hurt so cruelly by their father."

"I will not leave," Advil said. "I will stay here as your captive for decades if I have to but I will not abandon my lord."

"You command the armies of Rivendell now," Hyrondal said. "The choice is yours to make. If I were in your position, up against odds I could not beat, I would retreat."

"I am no coward and no lowly silvan born in the woods."

Hyrondal's eyebrows twitched. "Truss this one up; I am done with him. This rotten high elf will not listen to reason and I have wasted enough breath!"

Two elves stepped forward with the ropes in their hands to do the job. Hyrondal strode away with a snort of disgust, shaking his head. His boots sank into the damp ground as he went, and the smell of fresh earth wafted up under the trees.

Advil looked back at the fogbank, as he was lead away, feeling a deep respect for its powers after the hallucinations and nightmares he had struggled through as he wandered in the mist.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading. I would love to hear from you; likes and dislikes or just your feelings about the story.  
**


	55. I See The Truth

"How is Celebrian?" Elrond asked of Glorfindel as the twins rushed to hug Thranduil. He stood in the living room with the royal family waiting to receive the king and the prince after their bed rest.

"Your wife misses you," Glorfindel replied, "And the twins. Galadriel and Celeborn arrived to help her but I think she counts the days to your return."

Elrond lowered his voice, his dark eyes glowering at Thranduil as he said, "And it is the fiend in the crown who puts her through such misery, keeping me here with his iron claws on my sons. I want to see my family united."

"You are free to leave, Elrond," Thranduil said as he finished hugging the twins. "I do not keep you here on chains; you choose to stay of your own accord."

Elrond frowned. "You know full well you keep me here. You know I will not leave."

"You could make it easier," said Thranduil steadily. "You could return home and be reunited as a family with love and stronger bonds if you would agree to put aside your stubbornness and learn to provide the twins with the love and support they need for their father as their guide."

Elrond turned on his heel and strode from the room.

"I have the strong urge to grind his face into the mud," Thranduil remarked, his voice tight.

"Let us resist the urges Elrond attributes so commonly to our barbarism and instead sit down to eat breakfast," Harune suggested. He cast a look toward the door. "I will speak to him about his utter disrespect though I have realized my earlier approach to punishing him is as bad and as lacking in wisdom as Elrond's decision to spank the twins."

"It is ineffective," Thranduil said. "And the exercise of punishing him with a strap is taking its toll on you. Let it fall off your shoulders, ada, it is not worth it. Send him down to the stables; several stalls need cleaning and none of our usual workers have committed any crimes recently."

He eyed Legolas, Landion, and the twins with a teasing light in his eyes.

After the breakfast finished, Glorfindel excused himself and slipped down to find Elrond, making his way to the stables. He knew he would find his lord in high dudgeon with a shovel in hand for Harune had dispatched Elrond to work immediately after the meal.

The sunny Mirkwood met his eyes and the fresh air smelled of blooming blossoms and fresh buds. The grass alongside the paths greened in the cool air as Glorfindel walked beneath a row of twisted tree trunks. The stables came into sight; a dozen long buildings set at one end of a long, open field spotted by horses and ringed off by thickly growing trunks. He followed the path and entered the square the dozen buildings made, stepping onto mud.

"It is an outrage," Elrond spluttered as he caught sight of his friend and appealed to him for help. "I will not use this tool of labor for a second!" He flung the shovel to the ground.

The lanky elf standing at the stable door ahead of him wore a displeased expression and had his arms folded. One eyebrow rose in disapproval.

"I have dealt with my fair share of rebellious elflings who come here to work," the elf said. "And I will deal with you as well. I am not in the mood to argue, Elrond. Stalls four through six await you; the brass number plates will not lead you astray."

"You can put a shovel in my hand but you cannot make me use it," Elrond snapped. He turned to Glorfindel. "This is yet another instance of the barbarians who live here. I was escorted here by two guards!"

Glorfindel said, "Undoubtedly because you refused to come of your own free will."

"I will not work like a servant," Elrond declared.

The stable master shrugged. "As you wish, Elrond. Follow me."

"Why?" the elf lord demanded with suspicion.

"Do you think the elflings sent here accept their punishment with grace on the first time?" the elf replied. He shook his dark head. "They do not and it takes measures to make them see they must. Legolas, Landion, and the twins are quite amiable about it and even take the care—" He glanced at Elrond's fine robe—"To come in appropriate clothing. But there are those who must be given a little nudge in the right direction."

"I will return to the palace," Elrond said. He turned to leave but an iron grip fastened over his arm and dragged him in the opposite direction.

The stable master said, "I do not tame wild horses for nothing."

Glorfindel followed, not out of support, but out of curiosity and came upon a scene behind the building at the north end of the square. Loud shrieks of laughter and yells came from about six dozen elflings as they stood at the edge of a creek, engaged in a furious mud battle.

"This," said Elrond's guide. "Is where elflings are sent by tired parents when they need to engage in a little rough play. Perhaps being the target of mud will encourage you to do your job next time."

Glorfindel bit his lip, struggling to retain a choke of laughter as Elrond was left standing in the center of the swarm of elflings as they flocked to his sides. As soon as the stable master had walked away and a trunk shielded Glorfindel, every elfling on the spot made peace and turned to cover Elrond in mud.

Elrond's outraged screams were cut off by the heavy assault of mud.

Glorfindel lounged behind the tree and spoke, knowing Elrond could hear him, "Elrond, you chose to walk this path. And I have seen what your ways have done to your sons. They were unhappy, and all I wanted was to help them but you pushed aside my suggestions and complaints without a care. If I were there father, I would not hesitate to accept Thranduil's help. There is a lot he can teach you that no kinslayer ever could. You have come to me for advice, Elrond, and I have given it you. You have followed my advice and it has led you well in times of need. I beg you to take my advice now. Only you can put the light back into your sons' eyes, Elrond."

"Never," came the muffled reply. "Not from any barbarian will I learn."

"You are the barbarian for refusing to learn," Glorfindel said. "Elrond, you have asked for my advice when you do not need it. And now that you do need it and I give it to you, you push me away. Not only are you hurting yourself, but you are hurting your sons more then you know.

"They came to me and begged me to talk to you, Elrond. Your being here is hard for them. They love you, Elrond, as much as any son loves his father. They want to return home with you and be with Celebrian and Arwen as much as you do. But they know you will make their lives hard and painful again if they do, and they do not want that. Elladan and Elrohir ask with their hearts for you to stay and learn or leave them alone to their life here.

"It is not easy to make the choice, I know. But if you cannot learn, Elrond, the best thing you can do is leave them. They will not have a father who can love them, but at least there will be no spankings dangling above them waiting to drop."

Elrond slumped against the tree trunk, the sunrays drying the mud on him. The humiliation had ended for the elflings had wandered off into the trees or gone back to their own fierce battles.

"How is it that Thranduil turns everyone against me?" he wondered.

"It is not black magic," Glorfindel said before Elrond could voice the suspicion. "He brings people to see the truth, Elrond. Everyone, that is, except the person who needs to see it. I saw the truth for many years in Rivendell but I did not have the ability to do what he does now for the twins, and that is why Elladan and Elrohir went to him for protection."

"It is abominable," Elrond said.

"I would not use such a word," Glorfindel cautioned. "Disagreeable to you perhaps but certainly not vile."

Holding his head high, Elrond marched to the palace with as much dignity as he could muster. At the gates, he was dismayed to find himself turned away by a stern Harune who shook his head at the thought of Elrond's muddy personage trailing through the halls of the palace and ordered the gates closed.

Elrond made his way to a discreet section of the river in full sun to wash after dispatching Glorfindel to bring him fresh clothes. As he lay in the warm water, the sun dappling on his skin, he thought about Glorfindel's words. Perhaps the balrog slayer had a point.

Or perhaps magic as foul as the mists of the Forbidden Grove were at work. But as he glanced around at the leafing trees around him putting on their bright foliage, he could not twist the forest into a harbor for black magic; he could not imagine so dark a shadow falling across the forest or hiding in its grottos. There were no signs of such evil and he felt sure he would have sensed it.

* * *

The door to his office creaked open and Thranduil looked up. Elladan and Elrohir came toward him, advancing nervously. "Thranduil, is Rivendell's army still at your borders?"

Thranduil held up a recent report from Hyrondal. "According to this, the commander if the army is now in ropes."

"The elves in the army should not be here," Elladan said. "They have families they must miss. We hate to know they are trying to invade Mirkwood because of us; because Elrond is too stubborn to admit defeat."

"Do you have something in mind?" Thranduil asked, sensing the twins had an idea.

"We would like to go to the borders and address the army of Rivendell," Elrohir answered. "If they know why we ran away, maybe they will see Elrond is wrong in trying to attack you."

Thranduil tilted his head. "Maybe," he agreed. "It is worth a try. We will leave tomorrow; the skies look clear and I have nothing coming down on my shoulders regarding the kingdom. Now run along; I have work to finish."

"Hannon le," Elrohir said quietly, his dark eyes lit by hope. He took his brother's hand and skipped out of the office, remembering not to bang the door.

Thranduil looked down at his paper as he returned to work. He would not say anything to Elrond or Glorfindel. They need know nothing until he and the twins returned from the border. Harune would, of course, have to be informed . . .

* * *

Hyrondal looked up as Thranduil's moose cantered into sight and snapped to attention. "My king Thranduil! I did not expect you. What has happened to bring you thus far?"

"Elladan and Elrohir have some words they would like to share with the people of Rivendell," Thranduil replied, gesturing to the horses behind him.

The fires of Mirkwood's camp behind the fogbank left the air smelling of roasting meat and the trees hazy with wisps of smoke. Plants and moss had been trampled between the tents; the ground of the camp was made of mud. Elves laughed around the fires while half a hundred of Rivendell's army sat around the base of a twisted tree trunk, their arms tethered with ropes. Sentries stood watch over them.

"Order the mist lowered," Thranduil said. "And assemble the archers in the event Rivendell's army decides to make a charge. I do not wish to hurt but I cannot allow my people to be harmed."

Hyrondal gave a quick nod and the notes of his horn sent out the orders. The lounging elves hopped to their feet and collected their weapons, forming into ranks before the fogbank. The high-pitched voices commonly floating over the forest died. The fogbank wavered as if it were about to collapse and thinned out rapidly, the wind ripping through it and scattering it.

Mirkwood's archers advanced to the edge of the forest as the dazed elves previously within the seven hundred foot deep fogbank staggered from the tree line and let the clean air brush up their senses. The former captives were pushed out into the plains and their bonds cut away.

Elladan and Elrohir nudged their horses forward. Advil looked at them with a furrow on his brow, worried Thranduil had brought the elflings to use as hostages.

"People of Rivendell," Elladan said clearly. "You should not be here. You should be home with your wives, husbands, and children enjoying the sunshine of springtime and playing in the fields. I know you have come because you think we are held here against our will but that is not true."

"We were not kidnapped from home or tricked into coming to Mirkwood," Elrohir said, his voice a little shaky. "My twin and I are here because we fled from our home. We fled from Elrond because he hurt us. Elrond believes in spanking and he uses a leather strap to punish us. For as long as Elladan and I can remember, we have been subject to the heavy hand of our parents. Being spanked by the people who say they love us hurt us inside. I could not live with being spanked when I expressed my honest opinions. I was spanked every time I tried to be who I am inside. I should say beaten."

"Elrond wanted us to mold ourselves to fit his needs," Elladan continued, as Elrohir's voice began to crack. "Me and Elrohir cannot live if we have to keep our true selves hidden from Elrond. It is hard and it breaks us from within.

"People of Rivendell, Elrohir and I fled to Thranduil to ask him to protect us from Elrond. Thranduil gives us his protection with an open heart and we stay with him because we want to. We will not return to Rivendell unless it becomes a home we can love. Until then, we will stay here. But you have no need to fight for us. This is not your war. This is a fight between Elrond and us and we do not want to see you dragged into. Please . . . return home. Do not leave your children without you when they need you."

Elladan bit his lip and ended with a quick gesture of wiping the tears from his eyes. Thranduil reached out and took his hand, giving it a supporting squeeze.

The army of Rivendell shifted, exchanging glances as they pondered the story. Advil searched the faces of the twins, looking into their sad eyes. He glanced at Thranduil and saw Elladan and Elrohir looked to him for protection and support.

"You do not have to believe us," Elrohir said. "We do not blame you. You never saw the side of Elrond that claims to be a father. You only ever saw the lord."

"The choice is yours to make," Elladan said. "We wanted to make certain you knew our side of the story so you would at least know for what you are fighting for."

Thranduil and the twins retreated back into the protection of the trees. Thranduil looked to Hyrondal. "Keep and eye on them, captain. And keep the mists ready to protect the border if it looks like Rivendell's army decides to stay and fight."

"There will be no need for that," Advil said quickly, his sharp ears catching the orders. "We will return to Rivendell."

"You would make the decision so quickly?" Thranduil asked.

"Hyrondal spoke to me about why the twins ran away," Advil said. "I did not believe him. Now I hear the same story from the twins. And I find it unlikely you would circulate a lie through your ranks . . . my brother is a healer who works in the healing ward. He told be stories from the time when Elrohir was put through an exorcism. At the time I would not have considered his opinion Elrond was somehow connected with Elrohir's behavior but now I begin to wonder. I begin to see things from the past in a new light."

Elrohir winced. "The exorcism was brought about because I questioned Elrond's discipline. I remember your brother. He stood up to Elrond once and asked Elrond to think about what he was doing to us."

"Elrond would not listen," Elladan said a little wistfully. He smiled and straightened on his mount. "Return to Rivendell. We will sort out our difficulties here. You do not need to be dragged into our problems."

Thranduil patted Elladan's shoulder. "Come, dusk is nearing. We will start for the palace on the morrow."

The sun set and rose the next morn to see Advil bidding Hyrondal a formal farewell. Elladan and Elrohir stood with Thranduil and watched Rivendell's army move away until the glint of steel disappeared behind the crest of a hill.

Hyrondal let out a breath as he contemplated the peaks of the Misty Mountains on the horizon. "Well, it is time to break camp and return home. That is one job well done."

* * *

Ariel approached Erestor, looking down at her hands. She pressed the ring into his hands and stepped back.

"I am sorry, but I did not feel I had a choice in marrying you," she said. "And there is a lot more to marriage then being forced. I would to have the option of saying no and I did not feel like I did last night."

Erestor closed his hand over the ring and sighed. "I understand."

"Try again," Ariel said with a small smile as she left him standing alone at the balcony.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Advil and Hyrondal had a bit of a face-off. But things have worked out now, and we all have moments of high emotion. Advil is loyal to his lord but I think he hears Elladan and Elrohir's message well. Thanks for reading.  
**

 **Thank you all for reading; I love hearing your thoughts and nothing makes me happier then sharing mine.**

 **Next Chapter: Thranduil tells Legolas the truth after spending years lying to his son.**


	56. I Heard His Lie

The days grew in length as numbers went by, welcoming the full foliage of Mirkwood into full green hues. The river blued and deepened, dotted with the flashes of silver fish. Hawks skimmed over the water, grabbing the trout in their claws and carrying them to the boughs of trees to eat.

The archery fields came alive with activity as every elfling in Mirkwood turned out to shoot at the straw bales at the far sides of the field. Legolas and Landion went in the bright dawns for their lessons, accompanied by the twins.

The air was hot in the day and cool in the night, but Mirkwood's many trees made spots of shade for elves to sit and rest along the grassy paths or sit on the riverbank. Shrieks at midday marked swimming pools and water battles undertaken by both young and old.

One night Legolas sat at his windowsill long after he should have been asleep in bed, his arms folded before him as he gazed out at the starlight trees. The full moon sailed high above the palace roof, casting dark shadows under the trees and illuminating the paths. He could hear wolves howling in the distant north.

The window let in cool night breeze, fresh with scents and smells of grass and leaves. Crickets and frogs chirped. His hair swayed in the pull of the wind.

Legolas turned as his door opened and met Thranduil's cool gaze. "Hello, ada. Why are you not in bed?"

"Legolas, what in Middle Earth are you doing up at this hour?" Thranduil demanded.

"I could not sleep," said the elfling with innocent eyes. "I want to be out under the stars and look up at the moon. It is warm enough, ada. Could we not take a blanket and climb up to the hill behind the palace and sleep there? The creek winds through the woods behind it, and the sound would make a nice melody to sleep to."

Thranduil eyed his heir and smiled. "Of course. I have not enjoyed a night asleep under the stars in many years."

As Thranduil collected blankets and pillows from Legolas's bed, he continued, "When I was little, Harune and I would sleep under the moon in the fresh night air. It helped take my mind off other things."

"Harune and Landion leave at night together," said Legolas. "I have heard them sneak away and seen them go. I was unsure if you wanted to or not, though I have seen you and Harune wandering in the forest at night from my window."

"Ion nin, I would gladly spend the night with you or Harune, or both," Thranduil said, patting Legolas's cheek. "You are my son. I missed many years of your life after I gave you away, and it is all I can do to spend every spare minute of the day with you to exalt in your company."

Legolas flushed in the moonlight and followed the elf king as Thranduil left the room with his arms full, the hem of his silver robe trailing after him. He had not changed for bed yet but he wore a blue dressing gown over the robe and smelled of wine.

"Were you at a party?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil glanced at him. "Yes, I was. A late meeting was celebrated with due accord over the settling of a pinning matter. Do not worry; I left before I drank too much. After all, I would not miss giving you a kiss in your sleep for all the wine in the cellars."

"When I am older can I go with the raft elves to take the barrels to Laketown?" Legolas asked.

The night air caressed his face as he and Thranduil left the palace through the back door and walked the path ahead. It curved away from the palace, and led up to a high hill. Trees ringed its back, with the trickling of water seeping out of their boughs while the moon and stars could be seen from the ground, un-obscured by branches and leaves.

"When you are older," Thranduil said as he spread out the blankets. "We will see what we will see. I am not making any promises time could alter."

Legolas flopped down onto the blue cotton of his bed cover, feeling the soft grass underneath him, and plumped a pillow under his head. Thranduil lay down beside him, drawing Legolas into his embrace before he pulled up the thin white sheet.

Legolas yawned. He wanted to ask Thranduil something but the question had slipped off his mind. Murmuring, he fell asleep, safe and warm in his father's embrace but still with that question nagging at his mind. He jerked awake a moment later.

"Ada," he said. "Do you love me?"

Thranduil picked a blade of grass out of Legolas's hair. "More then the world, my little leaf."

"But—but," Legolas pulled back a little, his eyes confused. "If you do love me, why did you give me away when I was born?"

Thranduil's smile faded and his eyes dimmed. "I-I have told you why, Legolas."

"You said you gave me away because you did not want to be a bad father, like Oropher," Legolas said. "But you had Harune to teach you how to love, and I—I do not like to think you lied to me but I do think you have not told me the full truth. You have not told me how nana died either, and I want to know."

Thranduil avoided Legolas's pressing eyes. "You are right, Legolas. What I told you is a lie I have told myself for many years; since the day I gave you away. It is not the truth."

"Well then, what is?" Legolas's voice shook, trembling with betrayal.

* * *

Elrond and Glorfindel paused as they caught sight of the two blond elves lying under the silver light of the moon. Their yellow hair glistened as they lay together.

"We should not invade their privacy," Glorfindel said, a soft smile on his face as he regarded Legolas and Thranduil.

"But this is yet another example of what I have spoken of," Elrond said exasperation. "This walk has not cleared my head as I had hoped; knowing my armies have abandoned me and returned to Rivendell is an insult to me! Thranduil and Legolas have such a perfect life, Glorfindel. Look at them. Unblemished, loving without fault. Legolas does not shove Thranduil away as the twins reject me."

"Elrond, Thranduil does not spank Legolas," Glorfindel said gently, clasping his hands behind his back. "I am glad the people of Rivendell have returned home; this is not their conflict. AndI no doubt there are gaps in the lives of Thranduil and Legolas, mistrusts and faults. I think though, if Legolas and Thranduil were to have a mistake come between them the gap would soon be bridged."

Elrond made a wide gesture. "It would never happen."

"Perhaps not," said Glorfindel. He gestured to the father and son. "But I think Elladan and Elrohir would enjoy a night such as this one with you at there side. If you offered I do not think they would refuse."

"Tomorrow night," Elrond said. "I will try. I feel apart from them for I have not engaged in any of the activities I shared with them in Rivendell."

The elves knew they should return to the palace but something held them in their places, rooted beneath the trees, their boots drying from a slip across the creek behind them. The wind carried words to their ears and, unable to help it, Glorfindel and Elrond listened.

* * *

"Legolas, I—I admit I made a mistake when I gave you away for adoption," Thranduil said, his voice pained. "I did not realize what I was doing. But the pain was too much for me to bear.

"Your birth was hard on your mother, Legolas. She died from the struggle of bringing you into this world two weeks after you were born. Her last wish was for me to love you as I loved her, and, oh, how I tried to, Legolas! I looked after you for a full year, fighting to honor her wish but over time the pain grew and every time I looked at you, I saw the wife I had lost. The wife I longed for."

"And I was not enough," Legolas said, his voice suddenly bitter.

"I failed to realize the gift I was given," Thranduil said softly. "Every day my love for you failed and died, Legolas. I told myself you had killed the woman I loved; told myself you were a murderer. I could not live with you and keep from fading, Legolas, knowing I had you instead of my wife. I told myself the lie to cover the wrong of giving you away so I could escape the pain. I wanted a child but I wanted to love it with her. I found myself with a son I could not love and I rejected you; gave you into the hands of a human to be rid of the baby who reminded me of the wife who died to bring you into this world; the woman whose death I blamed upon you. I am so deeply sorry."

Legolas's lips trembled and he refused to meet his father's eyes. As Thranduil reached to hug him, he jerked back, scrambling to his feet. "I-I cannot believe you would do that—you put me through years of pain and suffering because you—you were blinded by a hateful lie! I tried not the blame you for I but—leave me alone!"

"Legolas!" Thranduil cried, reaching for his son. The words cut harder then any knife or blow could have. He felt hot tears swell in his eyes as Legolas wrenched his wrist from his grasp and fled into the night.

* * *

Glorfindel bit his lip as Legolas vanished into the dark night, his eyes sympathetic as Thranduil knelt on the blankets, the peace shattered. The elf king's form hunched over as he buried his face in his hands and wept, silver tears dripping from between his fingers.

Unwilling to break Thranduil's privacy or comfort him, Glorfindel hesitated with Elrond at his side. Before he could reach a choice, a shadow emerged over the hill opposite them, following the path leading up from the palace. He relaxed as he saw Harune, drawn out into the night as if sensing his son's distress.

The elf knelt beside his weeping child, offering no words but the pillow of his shoulder and the security of him embrace for Thranduil to lean into and cry.

Glorfindel turned and faded back into the woods, leaving the moonlit scene to play itself out without his eyes upon it. Elrond followed him and both the elf lords wondered how the divided father and son would close the gap Glorfindel had expressed so much confidence in their ability to bridge.

* * *

Erestor doodled with his pen along the top of an outdated document. Celebrian sat in the living room rocking Arwen but she had done half of the paperwork on the desk.

Erestor could not concentrate. Not when the velvet box beside him stood open, the glistening band of silver within reminding him of the woman who had given it back to him. He rubbed his eyes in sudden exhaustion. How could he have been such a fool proposing to her like that? How could he even look her in the eyes again?

Hearing footsteps, he hastily swept the box into the top drawer of the desk and looked up as Ariel entered the room with a plate of steaming cakes. He could feel his ear tips growing hot.

"I thought you might be hungry," Ariel said lightly, smiling at him as she put down the plate. She looked at the desk. "You have not gotten much done."

"I am having a little trouble concentrating," Erestor admitted, reaching for a cake. "But it is nothing this will not fix."

Ariel grinned and picked a strand of hair off his face.

Erestor vowed to find a way to make amends for his earlier blunder. If only he could think of how . . .

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Elrond was unrecognizable. But I think the wash in the river did him good. Poor Erestor indeed; having a ring returned is not easy to take! Hopefully, he will do better next time. Thanks for reading.**

 **Thank you all for reading; I love hearing from you. We all just found out what Thranduil has been lying about. What do you think?**

 **Next Chapter: Thranduil struggles to make amends.**


	57. I Hated His Apologies

Thranduil blinked as the roof of the canopy above his bed came into focus. He sat up, pushing back the blankets, his heart jumping as he remembered the past night's events. He bit his lip, feeling more tears in his eyes. He had hurt Legolas more then slapping him could have.

The elf king slid his legs out of bed, shrugged on a dressing gown, and walked to Legolas's room, not daring to hope Legolas would forgive him. His son's bright blue eyes twinkled in his mind and the laughter on his lips sounded in his ears. He could not let such a mistake blanket those memories; he could not let them die in hate.

Thranduil knocked on the door, holding his breath without realizing it.

"Leave me alone, ada!" Legolas yelled, his voice harsh and angry. "I hate you, and I do not want to see you! Go away!"

Thranduil's heart broke into jagged pieces in his chest along with the sound of porcelain breaking against the inside of the door. He leaned his forehead against the wood and struggled to control his shaky breathing. "Legolas, please, I—"

"You are not sorry!" Legolas shrieked. "You might as well have been the one to strike all the blows Lord Katar heaped upon me! You might as well have been the one who starved me-and beat me-and threw me down dungeon stairs. It is your fault I was hurt, all because you were too blind to see the truth—because you condemned me and made me into a murderer! Go away! I HATE YOU!"

Without another word Thranduil turned and dragged his tired feet back to bed. His legs gave out when he reached it, and he fell to his knees beside it. As Harune entered behind him awakened by Legolas's shouts resounding in the halls, Thranduil turned to cling to his father.

"What have I done?" he wondered.

Harune held him, brushing his sticky hair off his face and wiping away the tears. "Oh, ion nin, I warned you so many times. I begged you to keep Legolas as a baby."

"The fault is mine," Thranduil mourned. "I should have listened to you with more then one ear. I did not realize until Legolas came back how much I had given away."

"Legolas is hurt," Harune said. "Stabbed. Betrayed. He trusted you, loved you, with everything. To know you lied to him about the nature of his birth—to know you blamed him for his mother's death and gave him unto the hands of pain because of it might as well be a knife. He feels as though your love has been false the past four years."

Thranduil buried his face in Harune's chest, squeezing his eyes shut on a trickle of tears. "I will fix it. I will do anything to show him how much I regret keeping the truth from him; anything to show him how much my love for him is true. I only hope he will give me the chance."

But Legolas Greenleaf, in his anger and hate, refused to give Thranduil the chance to prove himself. He refused to speak to his father, refused to eat at the same table as him. He stayed in his room or sat curled in the living room chairs, brooding and silent, his furious eyes on Thranduil, and his ears deaf to his words. He walked away from him in the halls, and left Thranduil with desperate eyes staring after him. Legolas wished not to forgive and he continued in his choice for three days.

The days passed with each second bringing a flash of pain and remorse for Thranduil. He sat at his desk, staring at the pages before him while the pen in his hand bled ink across the lines, and his tears mixed with the liquid, making puddles across it. He slept badly. And eating was a challenge.

Landion watched Thranduil pick at his food, his fork idle as he stared at the roast meat and vegetables in distaste. The elf king pushed back his plate and said, "I am not hungry."

Harune made a soft sound of annoyance and distress. "Thranduil, you have barely eaten this day. You need to eat something or you will not sleep."

Thranduil gave a sad smile. "I will not sleep if I do eat, ada. Excuse me."

Landion blinked as Thranduil left his chair and drifted out of the room, his shoulders slumped. He turned to Harune and asked the same words exploding from the twins' mouths, "Is Thranduil all right?"

Harune covered Landion's hand with his own and met the three pairs of worried eyes staring at him. "No, he is not all right. He regrets having hurt Legolas with an unfortunate lie and until forgiveness is at hand, there will be no peace for him."

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged looks from across the table.

"Even the strongest love can be disrupted, Elrohir," Harune said, feeling his appetite diminish. "Legolas feels as helpless and betrayed as you even though not one blow has fallen upon him."

Elrohir and Elladan glanced at Elrond without a word. After a moment they rejected their dinner and sat at the quiet table, their heads bowed.

Meanwhile, Thranduil made his way to the family living room and sank into his chair by the empty hearth. The birds chirped outside and the sun shone but the room seemed dark. Legolas smoldered at him from the sofa, his eyes bleeding with his pain. Once again he tried to reach his son.

"Legolas, I hurt as much as you do. While my love for you may have faltered once, it is strong and—"

Legolas left the room without an acknowledgement his father existed. Thranduil rested his elbows on his knees, fighting to control his frustration. His heart had never seemed so heavy. He looked up to find Harune, Landion, and the twins clustered around him to offer him their comfort while Glorfindel hovered in the doorway, his expression kind. Thranduil leaned back in his chair as Elrohir climbed into his lap, offering a small smile as the elfling put his arms around his neck and whispered, "It will be all right."

The tears came again in a flood as he remembered the many times he had held Legolas and kissed away his salty rivers.

* * *

Legolas tried to sleep but his face seemed scrunched in an angry frown. Ada had lied to him. Ada's love was false. Ada had given him away to be beaten and hurt because he blamed his wife's death on him.

Legolas rolled into his pillow and scrunched it into a tight ball, muffling his sobs in it. It was not his fault nana had died bringing him into this world! Ada had not the right to blame him for it! His small shoulders shook with the pain stabbing his heart. He wanted ada to hold him—to tell him it would be all right—to rub his back and rock him—but he could go to ada any more. Perhaps not ever.

The elfling cried himself to sleep. He heard the soft feet outside his door but their knocks and whispers, Thranduil's pleading voice, faded into his haunted dreams. The door was locked. And he would not open it.

His eyes were red the next day. When Legolas dragged himself from bed, his feet heavy and his head drooping, he stared into the mirror and picked up the heavy weight of his comb. He blinked away the tears in his eyes and watched them slid down his cheeks as he smoothed his hair and dressed.

Legolas opened the door, unlocking the heavy lock, and walked out into the hall, drying his cheeks.

"Legolas!" Elladan said, pouncing upon him. "It is almost breakfast time. We have archery lessons and studying before lunch but would you like to come with Landion, Elrohir, Harune, and Elrond—"

Legolas gave a tiny smile. "No, hannon le, Elladan. I-I would like to sit alone for a while."

Elladan's face fell and his dark eyes took on an expression of worry. "But you have sat alone for days now. The sun will put the smile back into your eyes."

Legolas swallowed. "I do not want to come, Elladan."

The tone of Legolas's voice betrayed his deep hurt, reminding Elladan of Elrohir's cut voice many months ago. The son of Elrond felt a twinge of sympathy for Legolas, akin to his feelings for Elrohir, and he withdrew, seeing the tears sparkling in Legolas's blue eyes.

Legolas trailed after Elladan, entering the dining room after a long pause to collect his broken feelings. He sailed across the room to his seat and slid into it, his head turned deliberately away from Thranduil's eyes.

"Legolas," said Harune. "You look exhausted."

"I-I slept badly," Legolas said, fidgeting with his fork. He could feel Thranduil's eyes on him but his hate consumed his love.

"Perhaps you should nap after breakfast," Harune suggested, looking closely at the red eyes. "It will not hurt to miss a day at the archery fields."

"No!" Legolas snapped. As he heard the harsh note of his own voice in the air, he choked and bowed his head, biting his lip, gulping to steady his breath.

Harune pushed his chair back at the same time Thranduil did, and picked the elfling out of his chair. Legolas rested his head on Harune's shoulder, his eyes squeezed shut to halt the tears pushing at the insides of his eyelids, and his hands clenched into fists. He clung to Harune, refusing to cry until the door shut between him and the dining room.

"Oh, Legolas," Harune said softly as the elfling's tense body shuddered with sobs. "This hate is hurting you. You need Thranduil and he needs you. Put aside your hate, little leaf. Love is easier to bear."

"N-n-no," Legolas wept. "He said I killed nana. He said—he said he did not love me—hate him—hate him—hate him."

"He does love you, Legolas. He loves you more then life."

"H-he lied," Legolas sobbed. "He lied to me. Lied like Lord Katar lied—about everything!"

Harune made a last attempt. "Thranduil is as upset as you, Legolas. He sleeps as badly as you do. He wants to hold you again and tell you how much he loves you. He wants to say he is sorry."

Legolas wrestled out of Harune's arms and fled down the hall. Harune watched him leave with a troubled expression before he turned slowly and walked back to his seat. He sighed.

Thranduil sat staring at his food without seeing it, unaware of Landion's hand on his. Elladan and Elrohir's eyes were kind as they looked at the aching father.

Elrond said, "I cannot believe this small mistake would create such a big gap. Legolas must be made to see—"

"To see what?" Harune asked. "We will not force him to forgive, Elrond. It would be cruel to do so."

Elrond glanced at Thranduil as the elf king sighed and pushed his plate back. His cheeks were pale and his eyes distant, covered with a mist of grief. "Thranduil should not have to suffer. Legolas is his son; he could find him and make him see it was an honest mistake."

Harune smiled. "Thranduil may be older then Legolas, Elrond, but age and position do not erase from him the right to suffer with his son."

"I have tried," said Thranduil, his voice hollow. "Legolas pushes me away when I touch him and closes his ears to my voice. I will not force a weeping, fighting elfling to listen to me."

"If you do not," said Elrond, "You will not teach Legolas his place, and this—this hate will grow. There are times when children have to be made to listen."

Thranduil rose from his seat. "I agree, Elrond, but there are times when the opposite is true."

"I will send some coffee to the office," Harune said as Thranduil left the room, his shoulders slumped.

* * *

Erestor watched the sunset with Ariel beside him. The wine glasses and empty plates were on the table behind him. Erestor turned to his companion, feeling in his pocket for the ring. "Ariel, I . . ."

He stopped and frowned. Gracious valar, no. He had left the ring in the top draw of the desk.

Ariel smiled and opened her hand to reveal the box, biting her lip to keep from laughing. "Looking for this?"

Erestor's face flooded with relief. He took the box and extracted the silver band inside. "We have watched the sun set many times together, Ariel. Will you watch the sun set with me until it no longer rises?"

Ariel clasped her hands behind her back. "I do not know. I sometimes think you are marrying me for my cooking."

"I promise to love you and not your cooking," Erestor said.

Ariel held out her hand. "I will watch the sun set with you, Erestor. I will watch it for eternity and every time I will find something new in the colors to love because you will be there with me."

* * *

 **Earthdragon: The more I thought about Thranduil's original explanation in My Lord, the more it dissatisfied me. I realized he had to be hiding a different explanation. I have not worked out all the fine points but Harune may not have been there when Thranduil gave Legolas away. Thranduil would have done it quietly.**

 **Legolas is broken up; he does feel betrayed. Hopefully, Legolas will be able to heal and give Thranduil the chance to make up for his mistake. Thank you for reading!**

 **Readers: I love hearing from you; how much you loved (or hated something!)**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas is hurt physically and mentally.**


	58. I Listened To His Truth

Elrohir looked into Thranduil's tired eyes as he stood before the elf king's desk, his brow puckered in worry. He held out the plate of sweet cakes, hopeful they would bring a smile to his face. "Here, Elladan and I made these for you. We thought you might be hungry."

Thranduil looked at the sweet cakes, swimming in tempting glazes and met the eyes of their maker. With a start he realized his mood was affecting Elrohir for he saw the lines of worry in the elfling's face. Forcing a smile, he took the plate and said, "Hannon le, Elrohir. It is kind of you to try and lighten my heart. Have you—have you seen Legolas?"

"He finished his archery and studying," Elrohir answered. "I have not seen him for some time now."

Thranduil rose to enfold Elrohir in a hug, but it served only to remind him of Legolas's warm body. Stilling his tears, he stepped back and watched as the elfling left the room, giving him a last worried look. Thranduil wiped his wet cheeks and carried the plate to the window, leaving it on the open sill for the birds to eat.

* * *

Thranduil looked across the room as Legolas trailed into the cool family room, his feet dragging on the carpet. He dropped his bow and quiver onto a chair and rubbed his eyes, blinking before he shot Thranduil a cold stare.

Thranduil dropped his raised hand as Legolas slid into the chair opposite him and curled against its sides, yawning. The elf king left his chair and crossed to the window, clasping his hands behind his back as he looked down at the river winding below. The sun shone on the glittering water, as bright as the laughter filling the air. Elladan and Elrohir splashed near the jagged rocks with Landion and Glorfindel while Harune and Elrond sat on the shore under the shade of a tree, leaning back on their palms. Harune glanced up and waved.

Thranduil returned the greeting and turned away from the window, feeling as though he and Legolas should be a part of the scene. But here, in this room, existed unhappiness, chasing away even the sun. His steps were soft until they stopped behind Legolas's chair and, placing his hands on the top, he leaned over and looked down.

In the short few minutes past, Legolas had slipped into deep sleep, his hands curled under his cheeks as his tense body clung to the chair. His flushed face showed under the streaks of mud coating it, and smudges of earth adorned his hands. Thranduil reached down and picked a leaf out of Legolas's hair. He forgot his troubles for the moment as he rested his chin on his hands and watched his son sleep, forgetting the locked doors of Legolas's room where the elfling had slept for the past few days.

Legolas had not come in to lunch after his archery lessons and Thranduil had left his office, the birds having eaten the last crumbs of the sweet cakes delivered by the twins. He wondered where Legolas had passed the last three hours, several choice places coming to mind from the mud.

In his sleep Legolas stirred, as if feeling his father's presence. He murmured at Thranduil's fingers working twigs and branches out of his hair but his eyes stayed glazed over and unseeing. The closer Thranduil looked the more bruises and scraps he saw. Legolas's blue tunic, crisp and fresh in the morning, bore several rips and tears. It occurred to him Legolas might have fallen from a tree quite a good distance above the ground.

As Thranduil walked around to the front of the chair to kneel before it and examine his sleeping child, Legolas shifted and his eyes flared to life as he whimpered. He uncurled and sat up, reaching for his boots, his blue orbs darkening as they fell upon Thranduil.

Thranduil bit his lip and remained calm. "Legolas, are you hurt?"

Legolas peeled off his boots and hiked up the side of his legging, revealing a bleeding cut scraped onto his shin. He touched it and hissed, glancing up as Thranduil left the room and returned with a bowl of water. He clenched his hands at his side, flinching as the cold water ran over his leg and washed the blood away. He wanted to pull his leg away and tell Thranduil to leave him alone but some invisible force held him back until the wound was treated and a soft piece of cotton wrapped around it.

Thranduil set the bowl aside and smiled up into Legolas's lonely eyes, reaching to press his son's hand. He started to rise but dropped back to his knees, looking down at his lap. The sounds of laughter and splashing water no longer floated through the window; he knew Harune and his companions were trooping inside for a high tea of cakes and cool lemonade.

"Ion nin," he breathed. He knew his apologies fell on deaf ears but to give up would be wrong when the pain in Legolas's eyes spoke of the torment he endured alone, the same pain he felt in his heart. Legolas started at the sound of his quiet voice.

Thranduil looked up, squeezing Legolas's hand in his. "Goheno nin. I meant not to hurt you, my little leaf. I love you so much."

Legolas's lower lip trembled. "If you loved me, you would not have given me away to Lord Katar, to the hands of pain and cruelty. You—you cared not what happened to me after you—you got _rid of me_."

"I care now, Legolas. After you were gone from my life, Legolas, I grew bitter and sought condolences in wine. But after you came back to me, I grew with love and patience, and I was able to open my heart again. I cannot lose you, ion nin. You mean the world to me, and this tear is so hard for both of us to bear."

Tears filled Legolas's eyes. "No; it is a lie! You would have kept the truth a secret if I had not asked—you would have kept lying to me—blaming me—calling me a murderer."

The elfling jerked his hand back and curled back into the armchair, burying his face in his hands to weep. His shaking shoulders brought a pinch of distress to Thranduil's face. He rose to his feet and slid Legolas into his lap, settling back in the chair.

"Leave me alone!" Legolas screamed, wrestling against Thranduil's hold. "You lied. Your love is a lie. You do not care about me at all!" He grunted as he tore himself free of Thranduil's embrace and stumbled across the room to the door, banging into the furniture as he walked with his eyes blinded by tears.

"I was going to tell you, Legolas," Thranduil said quietly.

Legolas stumbled to a halt, grabbing the side of the chair and asked, "Y-you were? W-when?"

Thranduil rose and come to stand behind him, glancing at Legolas's tight grip on the chair. "I intended to tell you on your fifth birthday with me, little leaf, for I thought it was time you knew the truth. Keeping it from you bothered me late at night when I would awaken with the moon shining on me."

Legolas swallowed. "I-I never knew . . ."

"You asked early, Legolas, so I told you. And I am sorry for I know I made a mistake, and I have tried to fix it; tried to show you how much I love you. I would not dream of repeating the faults of the past."

Legolas faltered, unsure of his reply. He turned as Thranduil knelt down beside him and looked into his father's eyes, surprised to see tears glistening there.

"Legolas, goheno nin," Thranduil murmured, reaching to touch Legolas's cheek. "Goheno nin saes. I feel as hurt as you do."

Legolas bit down hard on his lip and turned his eyes to the floor as hot tears blinded him and the ache in his chest flamed up. Thranduil's gentle touch made him remember how much he loved ada and how much he wanted to forgive him but somehow he could not find the words.

Thranduil's hand slipped under his chin and raised it up. Legolas jerked his head away, the droplets on his cheeks falling to the carpet. Thranduil said nothing but reached for him and pressed Legolas to his chest. The elfling struggled, half determined to stick to his rejection of ada but fell limp in the embrace and sobbed, clinging to Thranduil's robe.

"I am sorry to, ada," he wept. "I-I was angry you blamed me for n-nana's death and angry you gave me to Lord Katar to be a-abused. S-sorry for h-hating you."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Thranduil said, his voice kind and soft. "I am the one who is sorry."

Legolas made no reply but snuffled into Thranduil's shirt and whimpered, "I am tired, ada. And I hurt all over. I did fall out of a tree. I was so tired I was not paying attention."

Thranduil stroked his hair. "I too have slept badly, tossing and turning with guilt and grief the past nights. Come, I will take you to sleep."

His tears dried on Thranduil's shirt as he rose with Legolas in his arms and collapsed onto the couch, swinging his legs up and resting his head on one armrest. The plump lining underneath him made a soft mattress, and the width of the seat was enough to keep him from falling off. Legolas snuggled down beside his father, comfortable between the high back and Thranduil's warm self, his head resting over the beating heart of his parent. Thranduil pressed a kiss to Legolas's forehead and his fingers stroked the blonde hair until he slept and the hand fell still.

From the doorway, the collective breaths of Harune, Landion, the twins, Elrond, and Glorfindel all went out. Harune wiped a tear from his cheek and blinked to clear his eyes before he moved to fetch a blanket to cover the sleeping pair. He stopped and smiled as Elladan held up the folded cloth. Harune spread the soft blue material over his son and grandson, leaving Thranduil and Legolas to regain their strength and get some much-needed rest. He brushed a lock of hair from Thranduil's face and his eyes were fond as he slipped out of the room and closed the door.

"Will Thranduil and Legolas be all right now?" Elrohir asked.

Harune ruffled his dark hair. "Thranduil and Legolas are more then all right now, little one. They are fine."

* * *

Ariel paced. She bit at her nails with one arm folded. Her skirts whirled around her as she walked in circles, remembering to give the sauce for Lady Celebrian's dinner an agitated quick stir as it boiled on the stove. She was too worried to notice clumps were forming in the white mixture.

Valar, what would she do? She had to tell Erestor but it might be the end of their engagement. The end of everything. She tugged at the ring on her finger, twisting in. She moved back to the pot and whisked the sauce in fury. Her ring slipped off and plopped into the sauce.

An hour later, Ariel dragged herself out of her chair as a servant stepped down to say Lady Celebrian would like to see her. She called to one of her assistants and left her in charge of the bread before wiping her hands, smoothing her hair and stepping up to see what the Lady of Rivendell wanted.

Lady Celebrian sat at the dining table alone, Arwen in her lap. She held out a ring wiped of sauce. "I think this is yours."

Ariel snatched her hand to her face and advanced to take it. "Yes-yes, it is, but how did you come to have it?"

"I almost choked on it," Celebrian said.

Ariel covered her mouth. "I am so sorry, Lady Celebrian."

"What is bothering you? I thought you and Erestor were happy together. I shared your joy when I heard about the engagement."

"It is not Erestor. It is me. I do not know how to tell him . . . I am afraid it will be the end of our relationship and I do not want that."

"If he loves you, whatever you tell him will not matter," Celebrian encouraged, unlacing her bodice as Arwen searched for food.

Ariel looked at the baby as she nursed and her eyes filled with tears. "But this will matter. Believe me, it will."

"Ariel!" Celebrian called but the elleth had dashed from the room.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading; I love hearing hearing your thoughts.**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond has some thoughts about Thranduil and Legolas and his own sons . . . And we find out what Ariel's worry is.  
**


	59. I Felt His Love

"The rift sealed so fast," Elrond said.

Glorfindel pursed his lips as he looked at his lord. He and Elrond stood on the balcony, looking down at the river rushing below. He thought of Legolas and Thranduil, asleep in the embrace of forgiveness in the cool living room.

"Indeed," he said. "Hate was too hard for them both to bear. They are father and son, Elrond, bound together by ties of strong love, as any family should be. As the twins and you should be."

Elrond leaned his elbows on the railing and rested his chin on his folded hands. "The rift between us is years old, Glorfindel. And it is a rift unjustified."

"Perhaps for you," said Glorfindel. "But I believe the rift is justified. You hurt them, Elrond, in a way only you can heal with choice. If a gap between Legolas and Thranduil, created by a mistake, can be healed in a weeks, the gap between you and the twins can be healed in a few years. Is it so much to do to try and love them?"

Elrond met Glorfindel's eyes and held their steady gaze. He turned his eyes back to the river and said slowly, "When I came here and was confronted with the reasons for my sons' choice to run from me, I was angry. When I was asked to learn to love them from Thranduil and Harune, I was bitter. Every day I heard how Thranduil was better then me. Thranduil this and Thranduil that. He was perfect, Glorfindel. The perfect father, the shining king. The elf every one dreams of being.

"The image is altered now and my bitterness is not so strong. While I do not approve of his way or methods, and Legolas is still much too wild, I have seen he too makes mistakes deep enough to hurt Legolas and the ones he loves. He is not perfect and his imperfect-ability makes him more elven. More a person I can relate to."

"No one is perfect, Elrond," Glorfindel said in amusement. "Mistakes are a part of life, and we all make them. A life without a few regrets would not be a life worth living."

Elrond straightened. "Perhaps not. My only regret is the situation I find myself in. Most unfortunate. My armies crippled and my sons in the clutches of a king without a good sense of discipline."

"I do not agree," said Glorfindel. "Your sons are with someone who gives them the support they need. You are the lone person bringing confusion into their lives."

"I do not agree," Elrond replied. He frowned. "Never a word you spoke in Rivendell and suddenly now your mind is changed."

"I beg your pardon!" Glorfindel said. "This is not the first time we have argued about this. I expressed my feelings, as did some of the healers in the ward, and you ignored my opinions, brushed them away. I will hope you alter the views of your mind soon."

"Lunch is served," Harune said, poking his head out through the balcony.

Glorfindel nodded and turned away from the railing. "Come, Elrond. Harune is not the only one telling us to eat."

Elladan and Elrohir were seated at the table with Landion when Harune and the two elf lords arrived to take their places. Thranduil's chair stood empty and Legolas's seat looked alone; abandoned. But the sad aura wafting from the elf king and the angry feel Legolas had given off for the past few days no longer darkened the room.

"I left my drawing pad in the living room, Harune," Elladan said as the elves sat down and proceeded to eat. "I wanted to take it out and draw. Glorfindel said he would pose for me."

Harune sensed the silent question Elladan was asking and, cutting off Elrond's stern reply, he said, "After you finish your lunch, you may slip into the living room and retrieve your drawing pad along with anything else you may have left in there. Do not wake Thranduil and Legolas."

"It will be hot during mid day," Landion said, looking to the window. "You should find Glorfindel a shady place to sit or he will roast."

"Or sunburn," Elrohir added.

"After facing a balrog," Glorfindel said, "I do not burn easily."

The twins laughed at the twinkle in his blue eyes, the light sound ringing off Elrond's ears.

"All the same, you may have softened up without knowing it," Landion said. "What picture are you drawing of him, Elladan?"

Elladan looked at Glorfindel with a mischievous grin. "I intended to draw him in full battle armor but I would not be so cruel now. He could cook in his metal shell, despite his protests."

"I am glad you have a heart else I would have been forced to break my word to you, Elladan, and flee to a safer place," Glorfindel remarked.

Harune finished his water and pushed back his plate with a satisfied smile. Elladan departed with his excuses to retrieve his drawing pad and pencils on tiptoe, and Landion scrambled for the door before Harune could heap his shoulders with several daunting tasks. Glorfindel held out his hand to Elrohir and waved to the two elves left at the table as they set out on their sketching adventure.

Elrond sat and brooded in annoyance, finding it frustrating that the twins turned to Glorfindel with such smiles and laughter while they treated him, their own father, with mistrust in their eyes and wary lines in their bodies.

"I could use some help with my work," Harune said.

"I do not slave like a servant!" Elrond snapped.

Harune said, "You calloused your hands to fight for you lands and beliefs in the war. You battled and spilled blood, Elrond, to save your world and the ones you loved. Your hands killed. Those same hands healed broken warriors. They also shattered your sons' spirits. You are capable of so much, Elrond, like us all. You may chose not to work but you can and it may be good for you."

"You may chose to work," Elrond said. "But I do not make that choice."

"I will reword my earlier sentence," Harune said coldly. "I need help with my work, Elrond, and you are going to help me in the absence of my son."

"I am not your son," Elrond said.

"You are living under my roof," Harune said. "You are eating my food, and sleeping in a bed, not on the floor. Tell me, if your sons refused to help you, what would you do?"

"I do not tolerate disobedience," Elrond said. "I would give them a firm lesson in respect."

Harune nodded his head. "The stablemaster will supply you with a shovel; there are some stalls in need of cleaning, Elrond. And while you work, think about your disobedience. Think about how Elladan and Elrohir must have felt living with you as you go about hating me for my 'unfair' treatment.

"And before you think of refusing, there are guards outside the room who will not hesitate to follow orders."

* * *

Harune finished admiring the drawing Elladan and Elrohir presented him with after a long day where each minute went into careful pencil strokes to detail Glorfindel swimming in the middle of a pool and looked at the elf lord where he sat slumped in the chair with his head tilted back. Crickets sang outside and the stars twinkled down at the group gathered outside on the balcony.

Landion yawned at Harune's feet and rested his head on Harune's knees, ready to sleep where he sat but Harune touched his shoulder and nudged him toward the door, a sign that the time for sitting under the moon and taking sly sips of his father's wine was done.

Landion dragged himself to his feet with another yawn and stumbled to bed with the twins at his side. Harune looked into his wine cup as the elflings left, wondering why it looked so empty, and polished off the last drops. He and Glorfindel and Elrond sat in silence for an unbroken moment until Harune heaved himself out of his chair.

"Glorfindel," he said. "I will bid you goodnight after I have taken Thranduil and Legolas to bed; sleeping on the couch for days is not as satisfying as a mattress of goose feathers. Will you give me a hand?"

Glorfindel nodded and left his seat. Elrond followed him, sensing the party was over. The wine mingling with his blood dulled the ache of anger in his breast from an hour's work shoveling stalls.

Thranduil and Legolas still slept, with the son atop of the father, and an arm dangling off the couch. The blue blanket had slipped to the floor. Glorfindel reached for Legolas but as he tried to slip his arms under the elfling, Legolas whimpered in his sleep and his small fingers tightened on Thranduil's tunic. Thranduil shifted, murmuring an indecipherable phrase in elvish to reassure his son he was safe.

Harune whispered, "I will get Legolas; he knows me better then he does you."

At Harune's touch, Legolas came away from his latches at Thranduil's side and stayed sleeping as his daerada walked from the room. Thranduil was not heavy and Glorfindel's strong arms bore him without pain to the ready, cool sheets of his bed and let him down to rest against the pillows.

The elf king shifted on the mattress, even in his sleep realizing this was not the couch and groped for Legolas. He shook his head and his eyes came into focus as he sat up, murmuring, "Ion nin?" He rubbed his eyes.

"He is right here, Thranduil," Harune said quickly, settling the elfling into Thranduil's arms before Legolas could awake from his shifting.

Thranduil yawned and lay back as Legolas moved of his own accord, making himself comfortable on his father's chest. Harune tugged a light sheet up over him and went to open the window.

Elladan and Elrohir slipped out of the room with a last glance back at the two elves. They made for their room in the halls quieted by sleep.

"Somehow I wish we could approach Elrond with such trust in our eyes and hearts," Elrohir mourned as he reached for his nightshirt and Elladan opened the window to cool night air.

"It is to be hoped one day we will," Elladan said softly.

"Maybe he will come with us down to the kitchens tomorrow," Elrohir said with hope in his eyes. "I want to make Thranduil and Legolas a nice breakfast for when they wake up. They will both be hungry; they have not eaten much. And I know Thranduil did not eat the cakes we made him."

Elladan crawled into bed with a tired yawn. "I saw the birds eating it from the tree I sat in. His office window is visible."

"I wonder what he would do if we lobed a handful of mud in at him," Elrohir said with a grin. "I know he would be furious if it were a rock but mud is not harmful. It will not even bruise him."

Elladan crammed his pillow under his head. "I do not know if Thranduil can be truly angry, Elrohir. But if we made him angry, I would not like to see it. However a handful of mud would not be enough to set him off, in my opinion."

"I might try it," Elrohir said as he lay down beside his twin. "It is amusing to think about." He smiled in the darkness.

By the time Harune slipped into the room to tuck the white sheet down around the elflings, Elladan and Elrohir were asleep, their cheeks resting on their hands as they stared toward the window and the breeze ruffled their hair. A path of white moonlight fell on the floor a few feet from the bed but it would creep toward the wall until it was cut off instead of rising to fall across the bed.

* * *

Ariel wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. After a day spent with Erestor she felt all the worst for deceiving him. She had not found the courage to tell him-to let him know what she had done. She knew she should have mustered the courage and blurted it out but somehow the words would not come. The smiles she had given him . . . all fake to hide her inner feelings.

Ariel sat up and mustered herself. She drew in a deep breath and dried her tears. She realized she could not lead Erestor into deception; he did not deserve that. No matter how much it hurt, she had to tell him. She had to!

Before courage could desert her, she rose to her feet and walked in the direction of the office.

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading. Hearing your thoughts always makes me happy.**

 **Next Chapter: Glorfindel and Thranduil have a chat and we find out what Ariel is worried about!**

 **On another note, I have submitted my original fantasy novel (the first draft of which can be found on Fictionpress under my username as "Brothers In Arms") into a mentoring competition. Wish me luck making it into the final round and finding a mentor! Thanks.**


	60. I Saw Souls

Elladan put the plate of cake into Glorfindel's hand as Harune gestured for the elf lord to take it to Thranduil. "You said you wished to speak to him? He and Legolas ought to be awake, Glorfindel. Do not knock in case they are sleeping."

"And tell him we made the cake for him and Legolas," Elladan added. "It has strawberry jam."

"And is a horrible temptation," Glorfindel said, eying the warm slab dripping with honey and red sauce. "It may not make it to Thranduil."

Elladan grinned, unconcerned, and dashed to wolf down a quick breakfast before he and Elrohir departed with Landion for an hour or two in the archery fields.

"Tell him me and Elrohir will come to see him at lunch!" he shouted back.

Glorfindel took the plate and departed. Out of habit he stopped to knock on the solid wood door as he stopped before it and, remembering Harune's orders at the last minute, drew his hand back and let it fall to the doorknob.

Thranduil turned his head as the door creaked open from where he sat against the pillows, his eyes on Legolas's sleeping face pressed to his chest. His fingers dropped from Legolas's hair and he smiled a silent welcome.

"Elladan and Elrohir asked me to deliver this to you," Glorfindel said, presenting the loaf of cake. "And I—wished to speak to you."

Thranduil took the plate and cut the cake in half, eating vigorously with the one fork. It was a difficult maneuver to eat and hold the plate at an angle above Legolas's head without letting loose a flow of crumbs but he managed.

"My ears are open, Glorfindel, and I have no doubt the twins will come to see me after their lessons if Legolas is not awake by noon. He will wake up soon. Saes, sit down."

The elf king gestured for Glorfindel to sit down. The balrog slayer pushed several imposing layers of silk mantle aside and lowered himself to the chair, leaning back against the square table behind it. Thranduil carefully put down the plate with half of the cake left for Legolas.

"Are Elladan and Elrohir happy?" Glorfindel asked.

"As happy as they can be," Thranduil said. "Elrond's refusal to stay and learn or leave for good nags at them."

"And you? Does it nag at you?"

"No," said Thranduil. "I will give them the love they want and shield them from Elrond as long as blood flows in my veins; as long as they need it. And I am not above taking extreme measures to do it. I lived not the perfect childhood I dreamed of for many long nights but one filled with confusion and pain. Harune was there for me when I needed him; he protected me when I asked. I will not leave Elladan and Elrohir to suffer alone."

"Does it bother Legolas?"

Thranduil looked down at the sleeping face on his chest and tilted his head to one side, regarding the face with fondness. He opened his mouth to answer but Legolas slurred from somewhere in the middle of his dream world, "No . . . It does not bother me, Glorfindel. I lived not a dream childhood either but ada gave me his love and protection when I asked. I know how Elladan and Elrohir feel; I have been hurt to. I would not want to leave them alone either. What is that smell?"

Legolas sat up and rubbed his eyes, managing to poke his elbow hard into Thranduil's stomach as he sat. Thranduil grunted as Legolas stretched and yawned, and targeted the plate of cake with hungry eyes. He crawled across Thranduil, poking his elbows and knees into his father at delicate points and left Thranduil groaning.

"Legolas Greenleaf," said Thranduil with exaggerated sternness.

"Wof?" Legolas said, looking at him with innocent eyes as he crammed cake into his mouth.

Glorfindel coughed on his chuckles as Thranduil said, "Next time, ask me to hand you the plate or go over me carefully. I like being poked and jabbed as much as you do. And do not speak with an empty mouth. Chew with your mouth closed, for valar's sake. This is my bedroom, not the dinner table, and the last thing I want are crumbs in my sheets."

Legolas stared at him in silence.

"Do not ignore me when I speak to you!" Thranduil cried.

Legolas remained silent. As Thranduil frowned at him, he swallowed his food and explained, "I am not ignoring you, ada, I am obeying you. You told me not to talk with my mouth full."

Thranduil slapped his forehead onto his palm and groaned at Legolas's mischievous expression. Legolas put down the plate and climbed out of bed, apparently rested and ready to run wild in the palace again. He tramped into the bathroom to run a hot bath and came out, grumbling, to walk the short distance to his own room in search of clean clothes.

Thranduil slid his legs out of bed and looked after his son, deciding it was worthless to tell Legolas to stop slamming doors, and reached for his dressing gown.

"Another day at the threshold of fatherhood," Thranduil said.

Legolas came into the room with an armful of clothes and banged the door in his wake again. He looked at Thranduil critically. "Are you not going to tell me to stop slamming the doors, ada?"

"I am about to dunk you in the tub, you young scamp!" Thranduil cried and darted past Glorfindel to chase the rascal. Legolas fled with a shriek but a good deal of giggling and splashing came out of the bathroom before it was all over.

* * *

Elrond witnessed Elladan and Elrohir run to hug Thranduil, flinging their arms around his supple waist as he sat at the table, waiting for lunch. Thranduil laughed and reached down to return the embrace before he peeled their fingers off his robe and dragged the elflings with him to their seats.

"I finished the day's work in the office, ada," Thranduil said, looking down at Harune. "Hannon le for taking care of the priorities while I slept."

Harune winked. "You need not thank me, ion nin. I would not let it amount to rivers whilst you needed some sleep. Shall we eat?"

"The cake I ate this morning long since wore off," Legolas answered, making a grab for the meat platter before either of the twins could get it.

"It is not polite to grab, Legolas," Elrond said in disapproval as Legolas leaned across the table to secure the dish.

Legolas looked at him as he piled meat onto his plate and answered sweetly, "I will not do it again. Meat, anyone?"

Elrond frowned as Legolas handed the platter down the table toward Elladan. It would take five seats before it came to him. Thranduil said nothing but shot Legolas a glance the elfling understood alone.

"Thranduil," said Elladan suddenly. "Elrond told us you have a scar. He said it is a big hole in the side of your face, and that it is masked with magic. He said you are walking dead. Is it true?"

Thranduil blinked. "It is true I have a scar and it is masked with magic but I do not consider myself walking dead, Elladan. When did he tell you this?"

"This morning. He walked with us to the archery fields," Elrohir replied.

"I have seen the scar," Legolas said, holding up his hand. "Ada showed it to me years ago, during our first months together."

"Was it scary?" Elladan asked with interest.

"No," said Legolas. "It used to hurt him but it stopped after I came along. He said my love healed it."

The twins turned to Thranduil. "Can we see the scar?"

Thranduil shook his head. "Most certainly not at the lunch table. Come with me into the living room after the meal and I will show you."

"I do not think they need to see the blemishes of war," Elrond spoke up, glancing at his sons as if he feared the sight of rotted flesh would damage their young minds some how.

Thranduil's clear blue eyes turned to Elrond. "Then you should not have mentioned it, Elrond. If it was your hope to turn the twins from me and see me refuse to share a wound only magic conceals, you are no doubt disappointed. I have no need to hide scars from the people I care for, Elrond, even if you do."

"Then why do you keep it hidden from the eyes of Mirkwood?" Elrond demanded.

Thranduil gave a small smile. "It is pride, Elrond, a feeling you know well. But I am not afraid to admit it. I keep the magic mask on for my vanity and pride."

* * *

Ariel swallowed as she entered Erestor's office. The elf was busy, bent over the papers of his desk. He looked up and smiled at her.

"No cakes today?" Erestor asked with a teasing smile.

"I cannot marry you," Ariel said.

Erestor's smile faded. "What? Ariel, what is wrong?" He came to his feet and walked to her side.

"I cannot marry you," Ariel repeated, clenching her hands to hide her trembling.

"What have I done? Have I wronged you in some way?"

Ariel looked into the pain in Erestor's eyes and shook her head. "It is not you. It is me. And I cannot ask you to pay for my mistake."

Erestor reached for her hand. "Tell me. Please?"

Ariel looked down. Erestor would find out in the end. "I am with a child."

"But that is impossible. We have not-"

Ariel cut him off. "It is not yours." Hot tears filled her eyes. "I cannot ask you to love a child belonging to another man. I cannot ask you to do that for the rest of your life, no matter how much I love you." She jerked back.

"Ariel!" Erestor snapped, slamming the door to the office before she could flee. "Do not be ridiculous! The child does not belong to another man. It does not belong to anyone. While it is true my blood will not flow in the baby, I will love it, not because you want me to but because it will be a part of you."

"I cannot let you do that, Erestor."

"I am not asking for your permission, Ariel. It will be us who raise the baby, will it not? We will be the ones who hold it at night when it cries. We will be the ones who feed and cuddle and cloth the baby. We will be the child's parents, Ariel, and that means I will love it. I would do the same for any child born to my wife because I am its father; I do not care whether my blood or the blood of a man you once slept with flows in its veins.

"I will be the one who holds our son or daughter, Ariel. I will be the one who plays with it, cleans up the infernal messes I have no doubt will fill our home, and yes, I will be the one to punish our child to. Who ever you slept with will not be doing that, will he?"

"I do not deserve it," Ariel said, her voice weakened. "It was before I met you . . . I did not know I was with a child until a few nights ago."

"It is not a question of what you deserve," Erestor said, coming to take back her hand. The trembling had stopped. He smiled at her. "I do not blame you for past incidents and they need not interrupt our lives. I will be with you every step of the way while you carry _our_ child, and I will love him or her without once faltering. Because I am its father. And that is my word to you."

Erestor did not get any work done that day. But Celebrian outside the door knew all was well within the office.

* * *

 **I have not heard from some of my early readers in quite some time. I appreciate each and everyone of you who takes the time out of their busy day to step into the next chapter of My Word and enjoy it, as well as share their feelings after reading. I would love to hear your thoughts thus far, be they pretty or critical, if you would like to share with me your opinion. I look forward to hearing from those who have thoughts to share!  
**

 **Thank you all for reading; I appreciate it so much.  
**

 **Next Chapter: Thranduil reveals his scar.**


	61. I See War

Elrond appeared to consider. "Be that as it may, it is still an ugly sight."

"I do not think it is ugly," Elladan protested. "It is an honest injury at least, left by an unpleasant war. War leaves scares, Harune says, and I believe him. Not everyone walks away in one piece."

"Exactly," said Elrond. "Thranduil is broken."

Elladan and Elrohir's eyes flashed in sudden anger. "It is not true, Elrond. Thranduil is not broken. His scar has not left him in pieces; he is whole even if you cannot see it. There are ugly wounds but this is not one of them."

Unprepared to argue with his sons, Elrond challenged, "And what is an ugly wound, pray tell?"

Elladan spoke, his voice sad.

"An ugly wound, Elrond, is the swelling your spankings leave behind. Ugly wounds are the welts from the switches you used to stripe our legs when we misbehaved years ago in Lothlorien. Those are ugly wounds. Thranduil's scar is honest and it was not given to him by the person who is supposed to love him."

Elrond stood still and Elladan took Elrohir's hand to brace for the anger he felt sure was about to explode. But the lord of Rivendell rose from his chair, turned on his heel, and strode from the room without a sound but the furious pounding of his boots against the floor.

Elrohir let out a hard breath and turned to clench Thranduil's robe in his hands as he hugged him, leaving his chair at the end of lunch. He heard Elrond stop and pause in the doorway, glancing back as Thranduil knelt before the twins and the skin on his cheek slipped away like water from a sandy beach, revealing the gaping hole underneath.

Elrohir heard Elrond suck in a hard breath as if the sight of the wound sickened him but he stared at the puckered flesh with no fear in his eyes. After a long moment he reached out and touched it, expecting to feel oozing, weeping flesh but touched only dry, smooth skin. Thranduil met his eyes without a flinch.

"It does not hurt me now," he said. "It used to, and I would drink smoking green medicine each day." He looked over his shoulder with a grin at Harune. "You remember, ada."

"Oh, I used to prepare it, my lord," Harune teased. "It smelt dreadful. I remember throwing the glass of medicine against the wall when you said you no longer needed it."

Elladan considered the blemished flesh, watching as the mask of magic rolled to cover the wound with perfect flesh. He looked toward the door as Elrond marched away. The elves left the dining room in silence, making their way to the living room.

Thranduil lingered in the doorway as Legolas ran to jump onto the couch beside the twins and Landion. Harune wriggled into the space between them and collected them into a tight embrace for the recounting of one of the many stories in his head.

Legolas looked up for a moment as Thranduil collected his book off the table by his armchair and walked away. His father looked back in the doorway and blew him a kiss, much to the amusement of Glorfindel who passed in the hallway in search of his stewing lord.

Thranduil drew in a deep breath as he left the palace, nodding to the guards outside the doors, and jogged into the woods, years of practice keeping his nimble feet from landing on the hem of his robe.

Knowing Legolas would be fine without him, Thranduil settled down at the roots of an elder oak tree, off the main path, shielded by vines of honeysuckle and moss-covered rocks. He leaned back against the trunk and opened his book on his knees, shaking his head as he realized he had been reading the book for the past twelve months and had not made it as far as one might imagine.

Engaged in the pages, Thranduil unconsciously heard approaching footsteps and ignored them, sensing no danger. He was vaguely aware of a person standing in front of him but thought not to look up.

"Ahem," coughed a voice, and jerked Thranduil from his pages.

"Oh, Elladan," the elf king said, and put aside his book. He ran his eyes over Elladan's face and realized the elfling needed to talk. "Come sit down, and tell me what it is clouding your eyes."

"Elrohir is not here," Elladan said, accepting a seat on the moss beside Thranduil.

"So I see," the elf agreed.

Elladan squirmed. He drew his knees up to his chest and rested his cheek on them. "It is Elrond who bothers me, Thranduil. I do not see how he can want us not to be exposed to violence when at the same time he exposed us to it every day back home."

Thranduil touched his cheek. "You mean my scar."

"Yes," said Elladan. "I do not like him but neither do I hate him. It is Elrohir who is hurt in more visible ways. My wounds are hidden, like yours."

"It would be unnatural for a child not to feel wounded by a father's wrong actions," Thranduil said softly. "I knew you were hurting inside, Elladan, and I knew you would tell me in your own time. What I could not understand is why you stayed so . . . strong on the outside."

"It was for Elrohir," Elladan said. "He needed me to remain strong for him; he needed me to be his support. Without me, he would have fallen to pieces, Thranduil, and it would have killed me to see him shattered. As much as I was hurting—betrayed—stabbed—I had to keep my feelings under control; had to make sure they ruled me not. I had to be strong for Elrohir."

Thranduil held out his arms to the elfling and supported Elladan's topple against him, rubbing the elfling's back in soothing circles.

"I understand, Elladan, and I thin your gesture gave Elrohir someone to turn to when he needed someone to be there for him. But I think you need someone you can turn to as well. You might feel better if you let Elrohir see some of your emotions and sort them through together."

Elladan drew in a deep breath. "I suspect you are right. It is not that I am reluctant to shed a few tears. I do not naturally show emotions. It is something I have to remind myself to do or they fester inside me."

Thranduil nodded. "When Legolas came to live with me, I was impatient and more attached to things then I was to my son. It took a while for me to learn to love him and him longer to learn to love me."

Elladan swallowed. "Years, you mean."

"Maybe two," Thranduil agreed.

Elladan sighed. "Time is such a long thing. Why must is stretch on so?"

Thranduil hugged the top of his head. "Time is a precious thing even to me, as an elf. I enjoy every minute of my life and my days with Legolas."

"I wish I could savor every moment I spend with Elrond," Elladan said a bit wistfully.

"One day," said Thranduil, "You will be able to. Harune, Glorfindel, and I are here to make sure you have your father back soon."

"I despair of your efforts working," Elladan whispered. "Every day I hope less and less Elrond will stop spanking us. Every day I hope but every night a little more of the light dies."

Thranduil felt his heart swell in sympathy. "Hold onto it, Elladan, for as long as you can. Do not let the last slivers of it slip away. I too once felt I would never reach the top of an endless stair; that Legolas would never stop cringing whenever I raised my voice. And as my hope died, it was renewed. Now I need not hope Legolas will love me because I know he does."

"Elrohir and I know Elrond loves us," Elladan said. "There was a time when we could feel it . . . but a wall cuts it off now."

"We must find a way to break the wall," Thranduil said, kissing the dark head. "You and Elrohir can help us in anyway you can."

"You need not ask," Elladan murmured. "Will you—will you hold me while you may?"

Thranduil glanced at his book and smiled. "You need not ask, little one," he echoed.

* * *

Thranduil strolled into Legolas's bedroom at nine o' clock and found the elfling buried deep in the thrilling pages of a book. A candle burned furiously on the bedside table.

"Ahem," said Thranduil.

Legolas looked up, smiled, and returned to reading.

"Legolas, what time is it?" Thranduil asked sternly.

Legolas looked at his small clock. "Nine."

"And what time is it you must put the book away and sleep?"

"Nine," said Legolas. "But, ada, I do not see why I cannot finish the chapter. There are only six pages left and I cannot wait until tomorrow without tossing and turning all night. It is not fair!"

"This is how bedtime is set up and this is how it has been for many months," Thranduil said. "Now put the book away and let me tuck you into bed."

"I do not want to be tucked into bed," Legolas said stubbornly. "I want to finish this chapter!"

"The world will not end if you wait until tomorrow. Do as I say."

"No," said Legolas, folding his arms across his chest.

Thranduil drew in a deep breath. It had been a while since he had dealt with trouble over bedtime because Legolas rarely found books he could not stand to put down. Without a word, he removed the volume from Legolas's hands, blew out the candle and left the room, murmuring, "Goodnight."

Legolas said nothing. When Thranduil passed his door again after changing into his dressing gown and nightshirt, the yellow light once again blared from beneath the door. Frowning, the elf king wrenched the door open and glared at Legolas, once again buried in the book with his candle blazing.

Thranduil knew the twins and Landion were sleeping and kept his voice level. "Legolas Greenleaf, you are young and without your sleep you will be exhausted and short tempered in the morning. Give me the book."

"I do not want to; I only want to finish this chapter, and I do not see why I cannot when it is only four more pages. I know you are going down to sit with Harune by the fire to talk and it will be forever before you come to bed. I will finish my chapter and sleep, I promise."

"It is past your bedtime," Thranduil said, making a move to take the book but Legolas snatched it away. "I am older then you and I do not need as much rest."

"I will not give it to you," Legolas protested, hiding the volume behind his back with defiance written across his face. "It is not fair. This always happens and I have to sleep as soon as nine o' clock comes around, even when I am in the middle of a chapter, and it is wretched."

Thranduil stared at him, remembering past fights over the same topic. "Legolas—"

"I will not," wailed the elfling. "How would you like it if you were told to—to leave a document half finished? You would hate it and I hate this now. It is so unfair!"

"You know how much time you have to read!" Thranduil cried in exasperation. "It is not my fault you miscalculated."

"Miscalculated?" Legolas snapped. "I do not count how many minutes I have to read a chapter and neither do you. I read it!"

"All right, that is it. Give me the book!"

"No!" Legolas cried, tears filling his eyes.

Thranduil stared at him, feeling unsympathetic but also realizing this problem over bedtime had to stop. He hated fighting with Legolas and he knew Legolas hated it as much as him. His displeasure faded as he sat down on the edge of the bed and asked, "How many chapters of the typical length do you read in half an hour?"

Legolas wiped his eyes. "I do not know."

"Make a guess."

"Maybe three or four?" Legolas said timidly.

"I will tell you what," Thranduil said, "Instead of giving you half an hour to read, you can read a set amount of chapters before you have to sleep. That way we will not have this trouble over time running out in the middle of a chapter."

Legolas's eyes brightened and the look of defiance left his face. "All right. How many chapters can I read each night?"

"It depends on the length of the chapter. If they are short, say six pages, seven. If they long, say twenty pages, three. And if they medium, say ten pages, five."

Legolas fidgeted, as he looked at Thranduil, unsure if he would grab the book before he pulled it out from behind him and flipped through the number of pages in his chapter. He stared at it for a moment before he let it fall into Thranduil's lap.

"I agree, ada. I-I guess we will start tomorrow. W-will you tuck me in?"

"I am sorry I yelled," Thranduil apologized.

Legolas turned his face away to hide tears. "It is all right. I know I was being difficult. I just wanted to finish the chapter."

Thranduil leaned down to kiss his cheek, wiping away the tears. He leaned back against the headboard, shifting to make himself comfortable before he opened the book across his knees. Legolas sat up to look at him.

"I will read the rest of the chapter to you," Thranduil said. "But after I leave, the candle needs to stay out."

Legolas nodded as he moved closer to Thranduil and leaned his head on his shoulder to listen to the ending of the chapter. By the time the elf king finished, a sleepy head nodded against his shoulder. The elfling slipped down into his pillows and blankets as Thranduil tucked him in, putting the book aside, and kissed the top of yellow hair.

"Goodnight, little leaf, I love you."

"I love you to, ada," Legolas mumbled. "So much. You are the best father in the whole world . . ."

Thranduil left the room feeling satisfied inside, knowing Legolas was not hurt and no harm had been done. His smile reached his eyes as he walked toward the living room where Harune awaited him, knowing he would treasure the memory for a long time yet to come.

* * *

"So, do you want to tell me who the other elf was?" Erestor asked.

Ariel looked up at the rising moon from the balcony. "I was with him for two years. His name was Nyril. Four months ago he left."

"Left?" Erestor questioned, biting into his sandwich.

Ariel nodded and turned away from the railing. "His spirit departed for Valinor; He was killed by orcs."

"I am so sorry. Two years is a long time to be with someone only to lose him," Erestor said sympathetically.

Ariel sat down opposite him and picked up her sandwich. "I wanted to bear his child. But I did not realize I was carrying a baby until a few weeks ago. And now I have you."

"I give my word I will not leave for Valinor," Erestor teased. "I will be here with you to raise our child."

Ariel smiled. "I know you will; I see it in your eyes."

As her eyes traveled back out to the valley rim on the horizon, Erestor asked, "Are you wondering how he fares over the sea?"

"No. I am wondering how Lord Elrond is in Rivendell."

Erestor sighed. "I miss Glorfindel. And I hope the twins are fine. I know Elladan and Elrohir ran from their home in fear. I hope Elrond is trying to make amends."

"Our Lord is stubborn as we all know. But I too will hope."

* * *

 **Earthdragon: The horrors of war are much more then scar but Elladan and Elrohir will be spared such brutality for a while to come, thankfully. Thank you for reading; I enjoy reading your comments.**

 **Readers: Thank you all for reading; I appreciate it so much. As always, I love hearing from you: what you enjoyed and what you did not, if anything.  
**

 **Next Chapter: Will Elrond finally open his heart?**


	62. I Long For My Sons

Elrond went in search of his sons, his wet hair dampening the shoulders of his fresh tunic. He knew Legolas and Landion were in the library, studying their books under the tutelage of their teacher until lunch time and, thinking the elflings might know the whereabouts of his sons, he walked to the library.

As he entered the great, quiet rooms lined by shelves of tomes and books, scrolls overflowing from the upper shelves, and the stained glass windows letting in dappled splashes of colored light, he stopped as he caught sight of Elladan and Elrohir. His sons sat curled together on the soft blue of a round cushion, their backs to the wall as they pored over the book spread across both their knees. The window at their left let in yellow light, the stained glass lighting up the image of a proud couple staring down at their first born.

Elrond's ears pricked up at the sound of Elladan's voice reading a passage aloud, " _Families are bound firmly together by the ties of loyalty and love and only those with stains on their heart would twist the light to make way for their own darkness_."

Elrohir gave a small smile. "It—it describes our family well. Let us skip the rest of this section and move onto the next part. It is hard thinking about what we cannot have."

Elladan looked doubtful. "I would rather not. I mean we have to prove we learned what we are supposed to and skipping half a chapter is not the best way to do so."

"It is only half a page," Elrohir argued. "You read it and tell me what is says."

As Elladan muttered and turned his eyes to the book, Elrohir looked up at the stained glass window, tilting his head as he regarded the light green, blue, and yellow colors. A shadow passed over his face as he looked at the ellon and elleth holding the baby, their faces smiles of happiness.

Elrond leaned back against the bookcase's firm side, unsure why he remained hidden. The seconds passed and he gave the twins a last look as Elladan finally turned the page in their book and left them to their solitude, walking slowly toward Thranduil's office.

As he walked he reflected on the events of the past days. After seeing the gap open between Legolas and Thranduil he had become aware that even the seemingly perfect father and son had their flaws. Seeing that let him relate to them more. While Thranduil and Legolas were happy together they had their stormy moments to, in the same manner he and the twins had theirs. He knew the choice he made would not be an easy one but it would let him be near the elflings he loved.

Elrond knocked on the door to Thranduil's office, knowing the elven king would be engaged in work during the hours of the morning.

"Come in," said Thranduil.

Elrond opened the door and entered. The scratching of pens on paper met his ears, sheaf's of documents rustling as Thranduil cut his way through the kingdom's amassed forms. At the sight of Elrond the peace on his face dimmed and he frowned, sitting back in his chair. Stabbing the pen into the inkstand and moving the paper in front of him to the stack on his left, he raised an eyebrow in question.

"If you have come to complain about our barbarism, Elrond, the door is behind you. I am not in the mood to waste time arguing with you over a matter already settled on my end. I intend to spend my time here finishing my work and every minute you waste is one I would rather spend with my son."

"I am well aware of how you prefer to spend your time," Elrond said. "And I too am tired of arguing with you. I would not have come unless the matter at hand was urgent."

Thranduil's expression voiced suspicion.

Elrond opened his mouth and, though it cost him his pride to say it, he carried through the action to the word. "I . . . would like to try and give the twins the love they need. I would like to be able to be to them what you are to Legolas. And I am willing to accept your help to get there."

Thranduil lifted an eyebrow, apparently not as impressed as Elrond had anticipated. "And would you care to tell me what has finally swayed your decision?"

"I saw you and Legolas create a gap and bridge it," Elrond answered. "I became aware you are not the perfect image of a father. Instead of feeling as though I could never be as good as you, I realized we are not unalike and we all have troubles. Instead of appearing to be a god with a perfect life you turned into a more relatable being."

"Indeed," said Thranduil. "I never tried to be a god, Elrond, and I never set myself above you. Harune and I are willing to teach you all we can and help you overcome certain . . . faults that are hurting the twins."

Elrond hesitated, knowing Harune would have to be concerned but not looking forward to anytime spent with the elf after past occurrences.

"Elrond, Harune gave you a taste of the pain you administer to the twins. Think about why you do not like him and let that guide you as to why the twins have no love for you."

"I . . . hope you will be able to help me," Elrond said, feeling a brief flash of doubt.

"Oh, I have no intentions of giving up," Thranduil said pleasantly. He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his desk. "We will begin by letting you handle the twins' bedtime."

Elrond's eyebrows twitched. "Thranduil, I have not raised Elladan and Elrohir for all these years for nothing. I think I can do a little more then put them to bed."

"You raised the twins all these years with a deaf ear to their cries because you deemed their words useless, coming from the lips of children," Thranduil answered, sitting back. "Bedtime for the twins is half past eight as it is for Legolas and Landion. They are allowed to read for half an hour before they have to blow out the lights."

Thranduil glanced out the window. "As it is, lunch approaches and I have work to finish. You may leave me now and consider why it is you refused to listen to your sons when they asked you to stop hurting them."

Muttering Elrond stalked out of the room, feeling as though he was an elfling again and required to write page long essays to be handed in and graded. He bumped into Glorfindel as he rounded a corner.

"You have something on your mind," Glorfindel said at once. "Tell me; you need to speak of it."

"I agreed to allow Thranduil and Harune guide me in the direction Elladan and Elrohir need me to be nudged," Elrond said. He flung up his hands. "But, of all insults, I have been allowed to handle their bedtime alone. Me, their father."

"Thranduil must think there is something of importance in it to learn," Glorfindel observed without a shred of doubt.

Elrond eyed him suspiciously. "I dare say. What could go wrong with putting the elflings to sleep? They went off at my word in Rivendell and I see no reason for them to disobey me now unless they have been contaminated with rebellion."

Glorfindel pursed his lips. "I think we will find out soon enough why Thranduil deems it necessary for you to put your sons to sleep."

* * *

Celebrian pressed Ariel's hands in hers and smiled. "My heart is joyful to hear the news. When you need a break from your work, you must take it. As you grow heavy, you will also grow tired."

"I feel in the peak of health at the moment," Ariel said with a wink. She looked over her shoulder at Erestor and grinned.

Celebrian's face became serious and she gestured for the couple to sit. Arwen slept beside her in the rocking cradle as Galadriel rocked it with one foot, her eyes on the old scroll in her lap.

"Elrond and I made a mistake with the twins," Celebrian said. "And my parents made the same mistake with me."

Galadriel looked up sharply and rolled the scroll tight. "Valar be blessed if you must bring this up again, seldë nin. Celeborn and I disciplined you with love, with your best intentions at heart."

Ariel held up a hand, her lips suddenly pressed thin. "Lady Celebrian, thank you for expressing your concerns."

She put a hand over her belly. "However, I assure you the last thing Erestor and I would do to our son or daughter is spank him or her. Lady Galadriel, with all due respect, I am disappointed you would advise me to do so. Good afternoon."

As Ariel took Erestor's hand and left, Celebrian turned to her mother. "Naneth, I have no objection to being with you for I have forgiven you for the pain you caused me in the name of love. However, I will thank you to please not mention spanking in my household again."

"As you wish. But remember; you are the person you are today because your father and I guided you."

Celebrian rose to her feet. "You need not have guided me with pain. Good afternoon."

Arwen in her arms, Lady Celebrian swept from the room.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Not so for Legolas; he cannot put the book down when it comes to reading. For all that he is understanding, he is, at the end of the day, just a little elfling who does not want to go to bed and will blatantly disobey his father. I rather fancied Thranduil's solution myself. As for Elrond, our elf lord has finally made a decision. It is time to see how well he does. Thank you for reading.  
**

 **Readers: Thank you all for reading. I appreciate the time you take to read each new chapter, and I love hearing your thoughts after you finish the last line!**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond puts the twins to bed . . .**


	63. I Heard Screams

Thranduil and Harune split in the hallway, moving to the respective rooms of their sons to say goodnight. Thranduil performed the nighttime ritual and left Legolas comfortable in bed, settled with his stuffed moose under his cheek and waited for Elrond in the hallway, wondering where the elf lord was.

Harune slipped out of Landion's room, closing the door and looked to his son. "I am joining Glorfindel in the sitting room for a cup of wine; come with me?"

"Refusing would be a poor choice indeed," Thranduil remarked as he followed his father down to the sitting room. He met Elrond at the door.

"Ah, Elrond, I wondered where you were," Thranduil said. "You have duties to perform, as I am sure you realize. Elladan and Elrohir are waiting for you."

"I was on my way," Elrond said, and disappeared back the way Thranduil had come.

As the king of Mirkwood sat down in his armchair, he realized he had forgotten to tell Elladan and Elrohir about the new bedtime rule. For that matter, he had forgotten to speak to Landion about it as well.

Ah, well, he thought, it can wait until tomorrow.

Elrond knocked on the door to the twins' room before he entered. Elladan and Elrohir looked up at him, their dark heads bent together over their book. Candles burned on both of the night tables at the opposite sides of their beds, casting dimples and shadows over the quiet room.

"Elrond," Elladan said with a formal dip of his head, and returned his eyes to the page.

Elrond glanced at the porcelain clocks resting on the respective night tables. Five minutes past nine. He walked to the edge of the bed and patted Elladan's head. "It is time to put the book aside and sleep now, ion nins. Come, I will tuck you in."

Elladan's head jerked up in dismay and he fingered the last two pages of the book. "It will take us ten minutes to finish this book. May we please read the last two pages?"

"There is the dawn too look forward to," Elrond said, reaching for the book. "You can sleep thinking about the ending. You will sleep faster knowing tomorrow holds something to look forward to."

"We will sleep wondering how the book ends and killing ourselves waiting to find out," Elladan muttered but he closed the book and lay back against the pillows.

"It is not as if we do not put the book away every night when we are told to," Elrohir said, speaking up from where he sat holding the book. "We stop in the middle of exciting chapters when we do not want to but it is worst to have to put it away when it is only two pages from the ending. I do not see why you cannot give us ten minutes to finish it."

"You know you must sleep at nine o'clock," Elrond said severely. "It lies with you to chose when to stop so you will not be left dangling on the edge."

"We were racing to finish it," Elrohir admitted. "We thought we could."

"A poor decision and one lacking wisdom. Lie back and let me tuck you in."

Elrohir obeyed with rebellion written across his face and accepted Elrond's kiss to his forehead with a slight flinch. The lord of Rivendell circled the bed to say goodnight to Elladan and left the room in darkness, the candles smoldering.

"Two pages," Elrohir muttered. "It is not fair."

Elladan rolled onto his side to face him. "It is pretty bad having to stop in the middle of chapters. Frightful. I say we finish the book now. Elrond will not know and the light will not be bright if we light one candle and hold it in front of the pages so we can see."

"I-I am scared of what he will do if he finds out . . . I do not want to be punished by him or by Thranduil."

"Thranduil would have let us finish the two pages," Elladan said with confidence. "I know he would have because I saw him reading the ending pages to Legolas's chapter last night and this is not different."

Elrohir hesitated. After a moment he sat up and reached for a candle, his fingers scrabbling over his hair brush as he found the still warm stick in the darkness and brought it close to light it with a match from the bedside draw.

The candle flickered to life and Elrohir handed the candlestick to Elladan as he reached for the book and opened it. Their eyes scanned for the leave off point and commenced reading.

The twins flashed through the last paragraphs as the candle sputtered. Elladan closed the book with a sigh of satisfaction. "It is nice to know how the book ended—"

"It is not nice to know my sons are disobeying me."

Elladan and Elrohir looked up in horror to see Elrond framed in the doorway, his expression grim. "I do not tolerate disobedience, Elladan and Elrohir. You know it well. Why have you disrespected me?"

"We . . . wanted to finish the book," Elladan answered.

"I told you to wait until morning," Elrond said, advancing toward the bed.

Frustration crossed Elladan's face. "It was not fair of you to make us put it away when there were two pages left. We go to bed without complaint. You might have let us finish the book without being so tightfisted and unwilling to bend. Ten minutes is not the end of the world."

"Do you know what would happen if I let you finish the ten pages?" Elrond asked, leaning down into Elladan's face. "You would take it into your head to ask me to let you finish your chapter tomorrow night and the night after that because I let you once. You will not learn discipline and discipline is important."

"That is not true," Elladan protested. "We do complain sometimes and ask to finish our chapters. We leave them until morning when we have to. But it is a lot harder to resist when the book is two pages from done! You could have read it to us or let us finish it and—"

"I do not care to know what Thranduil teaches you," Elrond said. "But I will not take this disrespect out of my sons. You have both been naughty and you know it. I cannot understand why you insist on breaking my rules. At home you—"

"We were scared, Elrond," Elladan said. "We were scared of being beaten."

"I will not have you use that term to describe your punishments," Elrond said. "I spanked you because you deserved it, because you needed to be taught to mind. And it seems here in this wild forest you have forgotten naughtiness comes with consequences."

"Consequences do not have to involve pain and hitting!" Elladan cried. "Why can you not understand?"

Elrond reached for Elladan's hairbrush and gripped it firmly, taking Elladan by the wrist as he sat down on the bed. Elrohir's eyes widened and he flung himself across the bed at Elrond, screaming, "No! You have no right to hit him."

"I am the only one who has the right to punish him," Elrond said, fighting to pin the struggling Elladan across his knees. He yanked up Elladan's nightshirt and raised the brush, flat end down above the round bottom.

"I take no pleasure in doing this, Elladan, but I must, to make you understand I am the one you must obey. I am the one you must mind."

Elrohir shrieked as the sound of the brush smacking Elladan met his ears. Elladan howled in pain, wrestling to free himself but Elrond held him firm, applying vigorous strokes of the brush to his pinking behind. Elrohir grabbed two handfuls of his father's hair and jerked it back. Hard.

Elrond let out a yelp of pain and turned to Elrohir with fury in his eyes, still holding Elladan. "Elrohir, it is not your place to attack me. You need to understand there are consequences for your actions. Consequences you will have to bear because you disobeyed me."

"Let my brother go," Elrohir said in a choked voice. "You have no right to hurt him. I-I hate you!"

"Your turn will come next, Elrohir," Elrond said without emotion. "You are the one who had no right to attack me and you deserve to be punished for it. You are lucky I do not order you both over a chair for what you deserve!"

Elrohir coughed on a sob as the door banged open, admitting three elves in various states of anger and apprehension.

Thranduil wrenched the hairbrush from Elrond's hand and grabbed the elf lord by the arm as Harune hurried to swoop up Elladan and comfort Elrohir. Glorfindel accompanied Elrond as Thranduil dragged him from the room, his lips pinched tight.

"Return to your room, Legolas," Thranduil said, looking at his son standing in the hallway. Legolas turned and went.

"You will come with me and Glorfindel," Thranduil said with a glare. "I am sure you realize you have brutally attacked your son. What were you thinking?"

"Elladan and Elrohir disobeyed my word," Elrond answered, shaking himself free of Thranduil. "I punished him as he deserved."

Thranduil let the brush fall into a chair as he entered the living room, feeling the distinct urge to smash it into Elrond's face. He folded his arms and stood to glare down at Elrond as he sat on the sofa.

"What you did was far from right, Elrond, and not what Elladan deserved. I myself experienced a difficult night with Legolas a night ago. He too disobeyed me and insisted on finishing his book despite my orders to wait until morning."

"You should have spanked him," Elrond said with a hint of sulkiness in his voice.

Thranduil made an impatient noise in the back of his throat and even Glorfindel looked disgruntled. "You asked why you could not handle more then the twins' bedtime, Elrond. Now you know why. You are not prepared to deal with their refusal to obey you without resorting to hurting them. I cannot allow you to hurt your sons, Elrond. I cannot allow it."

"You have no right to involve yourself where you are not concerned! None of this trouble existed in Rivendell before you made an appearance. I made a mistake inviting you and Celebrian made a mistake sending the twins here while I was injured."

"The trouble in Rivendell was there before I even arrived," Thranduil answered, seating himself beside Elrond. "Back home you would have finished spanking Elladan and left him to sleep in the damp puddle of his own tears, your heart unmoved by the pain you inflicted on him."

"It is your fault they rebel against me now," Elrond said irritably.

Glorfindel held up a hand. "I beg pardon, but the twins have rebelled against you in Rivendell as well and have been met with the usual . . . force you meet rebellion with. They were beaten down in Rivendell, Elrond, and it has taken them a lot of effort to shake off the results of the beatings and learn to express themselves without fear."

"Without fear? More like utter disobedience and disrespect!" Elrond snapped, turning on his friend. "It is an outrage!"

"No more an outrage then your treatment of them," Thranduil said. He paced the floor in front of Elrond, his arms folded grimly. "I had hoped you would learn to love them. You seemed earnest in your wish to be their father again and now I see . . . this."

"What do you expect me to do?" Elrond demanded. "I will not raise my sons to be as wild and unruly as yours. I do not care if you are one of the greatest elf kings, you are tainted with the lower blood of silvan elves and beneath my contempt!"

Thranduil frowned and Glorfindel winced. "I am sorry you feel such bitterness. I have put up with you long enough, Elrond, and I am as done with you as the twins are. I gave you the opportunity to take yourself and return to Rivendell alone or remain here and learn my lessons. As seeing as both have failed, I am now ordering you to pack your things and leave my forest before I resort to flinging you out with wolves on your heels!"

Elrond leapt to his feet and spat into Thranduil's face, "You are nothing less then a son stealer!"

Thranduil took him by the arm. "Elrond, I have argued with Legolas about bedtime. I have taken his books and candles and screamed my throat sore over the matter of putting away books and sleeping at nine o' clock. I have snapped and scolded and confiscated. I have left him alone and angry in his room. I have left him to cry his outrage into his pillows after I have slammed the door. But never, never have I hit him."

"That is a lie if I ever heard one," Elrond snarled.

Thranduil frowned. "Allow me to rephrase my sentence. I have had some difficulties with Legolas in the past but while I have argued and snapped and scolded, I have not hit him in the name of punishment. I have smacked him in trying moments without intention but I have always apologized afterwards."

Elrond jerked out of Thranduil's grip and retired to the sofa with an angry sigh.

"It is, unfortunately, second nature to react to disobedience with violence," Thranduil said. "We respond to things we do not like with war. History has solved problems with duels and battles. It takes a lot of love and will to deny that urge. The elves here do it without thinking because here violence is not second nature anymore. I do not need to remember not to spank Legolas when he drives me to wits end because I would not hit him for the world."

"Are you saying I do not have any love for my sons?" Elrond demanded with indignation.

Thranduil held up a hand. "I do not say that but I do say that the meaning of the word love has been twisted to you and given a meaning of power that somehow gives you the excuse to spank your sons and call it right. I do not know who implanted the meaning in your mind or how it came to be what you believe is the truth but I do know if you want your sons to feel your love, you have a lot of thinking and changing and apologizing to do."

"And you have not made a particularly good showing of yourself starting out," Glorfindel put in unfeelingly.

"Neither did I," Thranduil said, turning upon Glorfindel a gaze under which Legolas quaked but which did little to affect the balrog slayer. "When I decided to become a father for the second time round when Legolas came to me from Lord Katar, I was neither patient nor tolerant of the dirt he got on my robes. I changed with Harune's help and the love that blossomed in my heart for my son."

"But even then you had no urge to spank him," Elrond said with a hint of depression in his voice. "You were never exposed to it."

"Oh, I was," Thranduil corrected. "My father spanked me quite frequently until Harune fixed the problem. I was exposed to spanking and have suffered under the heavy hand of a parent but I remembered how I felt during the suffering minutes and resolved never to make another feel the same way I did."

Elrond slumped further.

"Tomorrow you will spend an hour remembering any instances during which you were spanked," Thranduil said, rising to his feet and looking down at Elrond. "I want you to remember how you felt during those so called punishments. Now your adult mind spins you fantasies about how good they were. Your child mind had no such feelings. Goodnight."

"He should apologize to the twins," Glorfindel said with an air of one who is enjoying himself too much.

Thranduil shook his head. "I cannot ask Elrond to be sorry when he is not. When Elrond is ready to apologize from his heart, he will do so without me having to order it."

Glorfindel seemed to catch the wisdom in his words and rose to accompany Thranduil from the room. Elrond hefted himself to his feet to follow them.

"It is my fault," Thranduil said with a hint of regret in his voice as the elves walked. "I agreed that instead of letting the elflings read for a certain amount of time each night, they could instead read a certain amount of chapters. It was an excellent way to end the trouble with arguing over the finishing of a chapter. I put it off. If only I had told you, this would never have happened."

In the hallway, Thranduil stopped before he entered his chambers and peeked into Legolas's room. The bed lay empty, a tangle of white sheets and blankets without an elfling beneath them. Knowing Legolas would be either in his room waiting or with Landion, Thranduil looked into his brother's room quietly should Landion be sleeping.

Legolas sat upright in bed; his eyes wide awake and worried. Landion sat up beside him and asked as he brushed back dark hair from his face, "Gwador, is ada coming back?"

Thranduil thought back to the frightened and hurt state of Elladan and Elrohir and shook his head. "No, Landion, Harune is with the twins. They need him."

Landion twisted a strand of hair around his finger. "I know. I mean . . . I heard them screaming . . . and I heard the—the sound of something hard hitting flesh . . ." His eye fell upon Elrond and he glowered at him.

"Will you come lie down with us?" Legolas asked with hope in his crystal blue eyes.

"As soon as I am changed," Thranduil answered. He left the door cracked and retreated to his chambers with a last goodnight to his companions and a promise to the elflings to be back in a few minutes.

Glorfindel left Elrond alone in the hall. The elf lord wandered away from the room of Legolas and Landion, feeling rather dismayed as he compared their worry and faith in the people who loved them to the sight of his own sons curled close to Harune as if for protection, small shudders shaking their bodies even in their sleep.

* * *

 **A lovely, extra long chapter! I hope you enjoyed these three thousand words and I would love to hear your thoughts on what Elrond did and what Thranduil said to him. Thank you for reading.  
**


	64. I Saw Grace

The atmosphere at the morning table seemed strained. The twins sat stiffly, their eyes diverted from their father, the memory of last night's spanking still fresh. Legolas and Landion squirmed, Thranduil and Harune ate without gusto, Glorfindel remained silent, and Elrond fidgeted. The twins met his attempts at conversation with icy silence, clearly impressing the fact they had no forgiveness for him.

Thranduil rose to his feet and walked to kiss Legolas on the top of his head before he said, "Excuse me; I have work to do. Legolas, Landion, Elladan, Elrohir, your lessons are in a few minutes. Elrond, I am sure you recall the task I set you last night. One hour's contemplation on the punishments you received as a child."

Thranduil rounded the table to complete the kissing of the twins' and Landion's soft heads before he left the room with a single wave, his step light and cheery.

Legolas snagged a last tart from under Harune's nose and bounced out of his chair. With Landion and the twins in tow, he skipped out of the room, singing. Every elfling sang a different song and the result was an inharmonious clash of tunes.

Elrond slumped in his chair. Harune rose to clear the table and Glorfindel rose to help him. Galion entered by a side door to take away the plates Harune handed him.

"It is your own fault," Harune said without feeling. "If you had opened your heart to the twins instead of descending on them with the flat end of a hairbrush, you would not be sitting here in misery." He slammed several wooden bowls onto Galion's tray and the elf staggered with an exclamation of annoyance.

"Arai, Harune, have a care for the dishes! You will make me drop the lot."

Harune looked at him with interest. "You would be as bad as the elflings if you plunged into the habit of breaking things. You must be prepared at all times, Galion; what else am I training you for?"

"Well!" said Galion with proper indignation. He turned and marched from the room to the disturbance of the plates and bowls on his tray.

Elrond groaned. He hefted himself to his feet. "I have one hour of contemplation to tend to; you will excuse me."

"I hope it does you good," Harune answered. His eyes followed Elrond out of the room.

Elrond wandered out of the palace and followed a path into the woods. He found a quiet spot beside a gurgling stream and lowered himself to the bank. He leaned back against a rounded rock behind him and closed his eyes to the bright green around him. He who had lived so long would find it difficult to dredge up childhood memories.

Elrond remembered the kinslayings and his parents abandoning him to their mercies. He remembered receiving the mercy he never thought he and his twin would receive and living despite the slaughter. Maedhros and Maglor had been part of the kinslayings; they had come with Feanor to lay waste to his homeland. At the time he had counted himself lucky to be alive, despite having been captured.

Their parenting methods he had never considered. But he did remember being spanked.

Several hours later Elrond jerked from his contemplations at a shriek of laughter in the woods. Elladan and Elrohir burst from the trees, their eyes fixed on Legolas and Landion over their shoulders as they fled in mock terror.

The first thing Elrond noticed was their muddy clothing and unruly hair. A frown immediately came to his face as he sat without a word and watched his sons approach. Utterly inappropriate; as if they were common baker's sons! His frown deepened.

Elrond's eyes shot to Legolas and Landion in similar states of earth adorned clothing and streaked cheeks. He gazed at them for a long instant, remembering Legolas's unconscious grace and agility back in Rivendell, akin to Thranduil's majestic sweeping stride. He never seemed to trip over those long robes of his. And it seemed also as if years of training would not bring Elladan and Elrohir up to the speed and light-footedness of Legolas and Landion. Even here he could see it.

His eyes were fixed on the twins but Legolas avoided sharp twigs and branches, and leapt fallen tree trunks without glancing at them. His clothes remained miraculously un-torn despite having dashed through several briar patches. Landion followed with equal ease, laughing.

Elrond switched his gaze to his own sons. They were fast but he remembered countless excursions into the woods behind their home involving tripping, tearing, falling, and scratching. There had been no crying for the twins seemed not to mind the scrapes but it had ruined the image of graceful elflings fixed in Elrond's mind. They possessed the grace natural of all elves but Legolas and Landion took elven grace and agility to new heights . . . heights all of Mirkwood seemed to stand on.

Elrond blinked twice and stared at his sons again, looking past the mud and tangled hair. Their clothes were un-torn. They too cleared the rocks and brambles with casual effortlessness and leapt the stream without once looking to check their footings. Elladan and Elrohir darted up the bank and crashed into Elrond, landing in a sprawl over top of him. Their laughter turned to groans as they scraped themselves off Elrond.

Legolas and Landion landed beside them and grinned down. "Are you all right?"

Elladan inspected a small scratch made upon impact with the ground and jumped to his feet with a nod. "Yes, and we will be late if we keep up at this rate. We are wanted in the library without doubt and Rex is a fright of we are late."

"Oh, we are already late, without a doubt," Legolas teased, giving Elrohir his hand. "We will be getting the sharp side of his tongue as soon as we walk in the door. It will be a fright!"

"It is your fault," Elrohir complained.

"Mine?" said Legolas in indignation. "I am sure I do not know _what_ you mean! You are the ones who thought it would be a laugh to pinch my arrows. My arrows! I had every right to exact vengeance, and I have. I shall now complain to ada if you do not give them back."

Elrohir returned a bunch of arrows to their rightful owner with a flourish. After a moment he looked down at Elrond and asked, "Did we hurt you?"

"No," said Elrond. "But you might watch where you are going in the future. And I would advise you get on to your lessons. If I were your teacher and you came in late—speaking of the state you are in . . ."

Elladan and Elrohir scurried away, muttering. Landion followed, yelling, "We must change; he hates it when we come in dirty! Legolas, come on."

"Coming!" Legolas called back as he settled his arrows into his quiver and looked at Elrond dispassionately. After a moment he skipped away to follow his friends.

Elrond pursed his lips and leaned his chin on his knees. It seemed his careless words had brought back to the twins instant memories of past spankings. He had punished them for being late to dinner. He had punished them for covering their clothes in mud and water.

After a moment he decided they probably had deserved it and rose to his feet, feeling a small twinge of guilt as he remembered a day back in his childhood when Maedhros had spanked his bottom red for spilling ink onto a silk carpet at a desk in a room he had been forbidden to enter. Elrond remembered crying tears onto the floor as he struggled to squirm off Maedhros's lap, screaming and shrieking until the spanking stopped. He had deserved that as much as the twins deserved the punishments they got.

Elrond could not remember entering the room again, much less spilling ink. But he did remember shying away from Maedhros for days to come and cringing at so much as a frown from him. He remembered feeling . . . afraid . . . yes, afraid he would be made to feel the fiery pain in his behind again.

Shaking himself, Elrond headed back to the palace. The spanking had worked as it was supposed to. That was all that mattered.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: After past occurrences, Harune might have done so but he learns from his mistakes, I think. Elrond does indeed have much to think about. He came away with one thought of fear but he has a long way to go before he reaches harmony and peace. He is still stuck in the cycle of spanking. Elrond did indeed have an unfortunate childhood and I agree it influenced him in many ways. It will probably make it harder for him to connect with his sons now! Thank you for reading; giving me a peek into your thoughts makes me smile.  
**

 **Thank you all for reading. I appreciate each and every one of you and cannot wait to hear your comments!**

 **Elrond's thoughts did not come to much, did they?**

 **Next Chapter: Will Thranduil give Elrond another chance to put the twins to bed? _Should_ he give Elrond another chance?  
**


	65. I Feel Anger

Harune went in search of his apprentice. He found Galion cleaning silver.

"Master Harune," Galion said with a nod.

Harune said, "If I snapped at you earlier over the dishes on the tray, forgive me. It was my intention."

Galion looked at him mildly. "I know you were upset by Lord Elrond's words. I was not insulted nor were my feelings hurt. I assure you an apology is not in order but I accept it nonetheless."

Harune smiled. "You are learning well, Galion."

"I am glad to put my passion to use under your guidance," the elf replied. "And this lesson in grace is not lost on me."

"Being able to put aside pride and apologize makes up a big part of kindness," Harune agreed. "And you are learning it well. You must excuse me now, Galion, but I have promised to accompany my son to the cherry orchards after lunch."

"And you will forgive me, Master Harune, when I say the reason I am cleaning this silver is _because_ of your son."

Chuckling, Harune left the room.

* * *

Thranduil sat down at the table and picked up his fork. He inquired of the four elflings, "How did you get on?"

"We were late to the library for our lessons," Legolas said. "There was a slight delay coming back from the archery fields. My arrows were stolen, you see. We all been ordered back to the library after lunch to help sort all the books that have come back." He had a face.

Thranduil pursed his lips. "That seems suitable punishment. Do not make a habit of being late to your books, any of you."

Legolas nodded solemnly. "Yes, ada."

"And you, Elrond?" Thranduil asked.

"I cannot say my hour's contemplation amounted to much or changed my mind," Elrond answered. "I . . . did notice the twins have developed more grace and agility."

Elladan suddenly choked on his food and fumbled for his glass of water to gulp it down. He wiped his lips and targeted Elrond with a stare. "Perhaps we have developed more grace and agility, as you put it, because we have the freedom to run and wrestle. We have the freedom to come home stained in mud with briars in our hair and not have to fear being beaten by you. You never let us roam in the woods; you kept us from being dirty and having any fun at all."

Having delivered his outburst, Elladan snatched his fork and started on his salad. Elrohir returned to his food, fidgeting under Elrond's irritated stare.

Lunch ended without discussion returning to the topic. Alone in the living room, Thranduil brought the discussion to a head. He and Elrond sat facing each other in the armchairs by the empty hearth. The open window admitted the sounds of wind in the trees and floating laughter.

"And you thought of nothing, you say, from your early years," Thranduil said. "Nothing at all that gave you a hint as to how the twins might be feeling."

Elrond felt Thranduil's eyes on him and felt as if they looked right through him. "I . . . do remember being spanked . . . when I misbehaved."

"But you liked it, no doubt," Thranduil said pleasantly, reaching for his book. "I imagine it must have been good for you. The best thing in the world. You must have been worshipping Maedhros's feet in gratitude for what he was doing for you."

"It hurt," said Elrond with a hint of anger in his voice.

"Imagine that," Thranduil answered, looking up from his book. "I thought it was good for you. Who would have thought pain is the latest kiss? Imagine that." He shook his head.

Elrond wrestled his annoyance under control, feeling as if Thranduil was playing with him. "I do recall briefly resenting my parents after the punishments. But I did not misbehave again for long periods of time."

"Really?" said his companion. "I imagine you must have been afraid of being spanked again. Fear fades overtime, however, so I suppose you must have gone on being naughty after time. And being spanked. The cycle is endless."

Elrond frowned but realized Thranduil spoke truth. "The twins do not realize now what I do I do out of love and a wish to see them grow into good people."

Thranduil slammed his book shut with a gesture of anger. "Indeed! You feared your parents, Elrond, and emotions you wanted to express you kept bottled inside you because you knew speaking out against the spankings would land you in a world of trouble. You felt helpless and trapped. The twins felt that way for years. And unlike you, they could not live in cages, subjected to the wills of those bigger and stronger then them. Bullied without mercy by the heartlessness of the ones who claim to love them. You disgust me!

"How would you feel living in a room without a door, Elrond?"

"I never felt trapped," Elrond declared heatedly. "I was glad to have my life and a roof over my head."

"I do not blame you considering the circumstances but I think your parents set a poor example abandoning you are your brother."

"They realized the world had bigger things for them in store then looking after my brother and me," Elrond replied. "They had no choice but to leave us."

Thranduil's eyebrow twitched. "Elrond, you came to me a few days ago and asked me to help you learn to love your sons. What you did to them a few days ago is not a way to show love or teach discipline. I cannot teach you if you are not willing to learn!"

"I see nothing wrong with the way I chose to reward them for their behavior," Elrond said stiffly.

"You hurt them, Elrond. You cut them with a knife only you can hold. You have them a taste of pain you will not give a kiss to. Did you not see the shattered look in their eyes?"

"They seemed fine to me out in the woods."

"Where you were not present to command them," Thranduil said. "And no, they are not fine. They wept during the night in Harune's arms and dreaded sitting down at the breakfast table with you. They are still stinging from what you did to them. Tell me, Elrond, if the twins cut themselves, would you comfort them?"

"I would."

"It is a confusion to the twins that you would kiss a bruise or cut made by a rock or tree but not kiss the red marks the flat end of the hairbrush left on them. It is confusing, quite frankly, to me."

"If you understood spanking is done out of love, you would not be confused. You would know, as Elladan and Elrohir know, it hurts at the time but soon fades, and teaches obedience."

"I do not understand how hitting the one you helped create can be said to be done out of love," Thranduil said. "It is done out of anger and impatience. It is done out of desperation. I have slapped Legolas before, as I have said, but I have never claimed I hit him to teach him something."

"That is where you are mistaken. Spanking is done out love, with calmness and never anger."

Thranduil shifted in his chair. "Elrond, you are so accustomed to your way of dealing with things, you do not stop to think. You do not take five minutes to sit Elladan down and explain to him why what he has done is wrong. You do not take five minutes to sit Elrohir down and talk to him about his behavior. You leave them in pain and walk away because you do not have the patience or time to connect with your children and help them through their troubles. You do not have the time to be a father."

Thranduil shook his head. Elrond stared at him.

"You accuse me of having no time for my sons? Celebrian and I have spent hours out on picnics, sitting in the living room and talking, or playing games."

"That is all very well and good, Elrond, but when it comes to dealing with behavior you do not like, you do sit down and exercise patience. There is a lot more to being a father then spanking."

"You simply do not understand!" Elrond snapped. "Spank Legolas the next time he misbehaves and perhaps you will come to understand!"

Thranduil's face darkened and his lips pinched together. Both elves look up as someone moved in the doorway and Legolas stood staring at them with wide eyes. "A-ada—are you going to—?"

"Take the advice of an elf whose children are hurt? No, my little leaf, I would do no such thing. The world could not give me enough to make me turn you over my knee and hurt you. I would not trade your trust in me for anything."

Reassured by Thranduil's warm words, Legolas said, "Will you come with me, ada? Landion, Harune, and I are going to the cherry orchard to pick berries. Harune said if we pick enough he would make pies."

Thranduil rose to his feet and went to join Legolas, ruffling his blond hair with a smile. "I would be glad to as long as you promise to help me instead of running off."

Legolas grinned. "I will stay, ada."

Thranduil gave Elrond a wave. "Good afternoon, Elrond. Legolas, do the twins not want to join us?"

"Elrohir went out on a walk with Glorfindel as soon as we were done in the library," Legolas answered. "Elladan is still in the library sorting out books. There was a small disagreement and Elladan was ordered to stay in for more time."

Thranduil nodded in understanding. With his pleasant goodbye delivered, Thranduil swept from the room. Elrond slumped in his seat and buried his face in his hands, cursing Thranduil and cursing the twins. They had succeeded in turning his life into a living hell. After a moment, he righted himself and went in search of Elladan. The elfling was not in the library and a small stack of books still sat on a table. Frowning, Elrond looked on.

Elrond found his son sitting alone on the balcony, slowly eating the last crumbs of a pie. An open book lay beside him, the evidence of a still life he now demolished sketched out on the page. An empty glass and a feather were all that remained.

Elladan looked up to greet him and wiped his hands clean. He gave a cool nod. "Elrond."

"Ion," said Elrond. He studied the cool visage of his son. "Celebrian is worried about you. She sent a letter. She wants you and your twin to come home. She misses you and she wants Arwen to know her brothers."

"Home?" said Elladan. "This is my home now, Elrond. Rivendell never sheltered me or gave me love. I do not wish to return to life under your roof. I do not wish to see my sister beaten for refusing to share her toys."

Elrond bristled. "Elladan, Arwen will not be beaten for refusing to share her toys. Do not talk such rubbish."

"I was beaten for refusing to share my toys with Elrohir," Elladan contradicted. "I remember it clearly. We were sitting in the living room by the hearth with the stuffed animals you gave us. Elrohir wanted my horse and I would not give it to him. Celebrian told me to let Elrohir have it for a bit and I said no."

"You were not beaten, Elladan, for the love of Eru!" Elrond exclaimed.

Elladan appeared to consider. "You took my horse and gave it to Elrohir because he was screaming. And you led me to your bedroom. You pinned me over your knees and smacked me until I stopped screaming and cried. I had no wish to play after that, and I have hated the stuffed horse ever since."

Elrond's eyebrow twitched. "You have learnt nothing over the years. Perhaps it is because I have not been spanking you hard enough."

Elladan snatched his book and darted toward the door. "I do not care to carry on this discussion, Elrond. I have suffered enough under your hand and I am done with it."

"Are you going to the library?" Elrond demanded.

"No," said Elladan.

"You have not finished sorting the books you were given," Elrond said.

Elladan frowned. "You do not know a thing about my punishment. I—"

"You crept off and left the job undone. That is not the kind of dishonest behavior I expect from my son, Elladan. You were given work to do as a punishment. I do not care how ineffective it may be, you will return and finish it."

Elladan drew himself up. "No, I will not. I—"

Elrond rose to his feet, his face stern. "This is the reason spanking must be employed. If you are not left knowing there are severe consequences for misbehavior, you will grow into an unruly, undisciplined person."

Elladan backed away. "No—if you hurt me, I will tell Thranduil!"

"Thranduil is not here," Elrond replied. "And I am your father. I will not tolerate your behavior. Either you obey me and return to the library or I will punish you."

Elladan swallowed and his arms tightened around his book. "I do not have to go back to the library, and you have no right to make me. I—"

Elrond's hand closed over his wrist and wrenched him close. The elf's eyes were angry while Elladan's eyes were rapidly filling with desperate tears. Over his knees the elfling was turned, his clothes wrenched up. His son shrieked and hollowed, writhing as he fought against the tight hold pinning him down, jerking with each smack landing on his behind. Elladan wriggled and managed to slam his elbow into Elrond's stomach. As the elf gasped and loosened his hold, Elladan tumbled free, stumbled to his feet, and fled.

"Elladan!" Elrond cried, leaping to his feet to pursue his son. He slowed his steps and walked past the guards posted in the hallways without displaying his frustration. The elves cast him curious looks, their minds turning over Elladan's sudden departure.

Outside the closed door to Elladan's room, Elrond knocked. A resounding slam had told him Elladan had sought refuge in his room.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: You will get used to your new device! But I too know how those new keys act! None of the people in this world who spank their children are monsters either, and I love your description of Elrond: Sad, not bad. I think that applies to a lot of people in today's world to. Having been raised with spanking, they know no better when it comes to disciplining their own children. Some do break away from the cycle of passing on the same punishments of their childhood to their children and, hopefully, with a little help, Elrond will be one of them. Though, his actions in this chapter do not speak well for his efforts . . .**

 **As for Feanor and his large bundle of sons, considering what he did to his own kin, he spanked his sons. And Elrond's parents passed that onto him as he now does with Elladan and Elrohir. It does not help that Celebrian comes from a similar line of parents who spank.**

 **Harune was a bit snappy with Galion and his apprentice is growing used to the personality of his mentor! Thanks for reading; I love reading and replying to your wonderful comments.**

 **Readers: Thank you all for reading! I love hearing from you, reading your thoughts, and answering your queries as much as I can (without giving anything away, of course!)**

 **Next Chapter: Will Elrond "punish" Elladan for his behavior?**


	66. I Saw Fear

"Leave me alone!" Elladan cried. Elrond heard him running across the room and hurled the door open before Elladan had a chance to lock it. At his appearance, Elladan backed up until his back touched the far wall and cowered there.

Elrond opened his mouth to launch into a reprimand but something in Elladan's scared eyes stopped him. His son regarded him with a slight tremor running through him, his dark eyes glistening with fear. He looked like a trapped animal and few small whimpers made him sound like one in pain.

"Elladan?" said Elrond. "What is wrong?"

"I wish Thranduil would come home," Elladan whimpered, backing away with a sudden movement as Elrond came toward him. He cringed as Elrond reached for him.

"I will not hurt you, Elladan," Elrond said quickly, but his son kept shuffling out of his reach.

"You are lying," Elladan said, his voice husky. "You hurt me a few minutes ago, and you did not care."

Elrond felt a frown coming onto his face. "That was different, Elladan."

Elladan backed into a corner and trembled as he glanced toward the open door, realizing he was trapped between Elrond and his bed. He ducked his head to hide the hot tears on his cheeks, clutching the book in his arms even closer to him.

"Why are you scared, Elladan?" Elrond asked softly, disturbed by Elladan's trembling, small form.

"B-because I-I am all—alone w-with you," Elladan quavered. "A-and Thranduil is—is not hear to protect me. I-I am scared b-because you like to—to hurt me—you are bigger and strong—stronger then me-and if you want to spa—spank me—I cannot stop you. "

Elrond stood and let Elladan's speech sink in. It took a moment to register the cowering elfling standing before him was scared of _him_ despite everything. Thranduil had insisted the fear was there, and the twins had been cautious and closed around him but this was the first time he had seen Elladan so paled and . . . trapped. The fear was _visible_.

Elrond felt tempted to scold. It was not as if he was about to beat his son. It was not as if Elladan had ever been beaten . . . but he knew he had to comfort his son. The big, wide eyes were looking at him, darting toward the open door.

"Thranduil," came a choked whisper. Elladan's head was bowed and his shoulders shook.

Elrond crouched down and reached out to touch Elladan's shoulder. "Why do you want Thranduil, ion?"

Elladan jerked back from him and slammed into the wall, forcing down his sobs. "He keeps me safe from you—he does not let you hit me—"

Elrond felt as if Elladan held something back. "I cannot help you if you lie to me, Elladan."

Elladan bristled. "I do not lie! You lie; you do not want to help me! You are the one Thranduil stands to protect me from!"

Elrond held up his hands, fighting an urge to scold Elladan for his disrespect. "Is there no other reason you like Thranduil?"

Elladan hesitated. He refused to meet Elrond's eyes but, as he huddled in his corner trying to melt into the wall, he mumbled something under his breath. Elrond strained his ears but caught garbled words.

"What?" he said. "I cannot hear you, Elladan. Speak clearly."

Elladan dragged his hand across his eyes. "He and H-Harune—the last time you tried to spank us—they rubbed ointment into the sore spots—you never cared—"

Elrond sat on his heels and stared at Elladan. Fresh tears spilled down Elladan's cheeks, and his eyes on the door seemed to contemplate screaming for help. Only the thought of how much Elrond could do to him before the guards arrived held him back and his eyes darted nervously from Elrond to the door.

"Are you trying to say, Elladan, you like Thranduil because he massaged the pain away. I never hit you so hard as to warrant ointment!"

"You would not know," Elladan said. "You are not the one being hit, are you? How soft do you think the flat end of a hairbrush is?" He glared at Elrond, his fearful tears replaced with cold anger. "I suppose you think leaving my behind flushed and red does not leave me in any pain? You knew you inflicted pain on us; you knew and you said it was good for us!"

Elrond tried to imagine Elladan running to Thranduil upon his return from the cherry orchard. He tried to imagine the elf king sitting and soothing Elladan's spanked behind. The image flickered and died in his mind. A small sob from his son distracted him and he looked to his son.

"Go lie down on the bed," Elrond said, his voice commanding.

"Why? So you can apply some cruel form of sadistic punishment?" Elladan coughed. "No!"

"I promise I will not hurt you," Elrond said.

Elladan hesitating. Elrond moved aside and Elladan's eyes moved to the door. Elrond walked and shut it firmly, locking it, and the action brought Elladan's fright roaring back. He glanced desperately around the room. There was any number of things Elrond could use to hit him—Elrohir's brush, his hand, a switch broken from the tree outside the window. He cowered back against the bed as Elrond came toward him.

"Come on," Elrond said.

Elladan meekly obeyed, his mind racing to find something—anything he could do to run. He could scream for help but the thought of being assaulted by Elrond kept his lips closed. He could not disobey; Elrond was sure to beat him. He did not want to lie down and let Elrond whip him!

Elladan buried his face in the blankets and quaked. He heard draws opening but he had no wish to look and see what implement Elrond had found to spank him with. He felt the mattress shift as Elrond sat down and shuddered, waiting for the spanking to begin. Elrond's hands bared his behind.

"No . . ." Elladan pleaded. "Please do not. Please!"

Elrond's hand touched him and Elladan cried out of habit. Elrond's hand on his behind always meant pain. He felt something cool and smooth dull the pain the few strokes of Elrond's hands had left him in and jerked in shock.

"Sshhh, it is all right, Elladan." Elrond's voice sounded calm and . . . gentle? The ointment rubbed into his abused behind felt soothing . . . enticing the red color left behind to fade.

Elladan's breathing settled and he relaxed as he fell asleep, his cheek pressed to the blanket. Elrond capped the jar of ointment and rose to his feet, giving a small sigh as he thought of Elladan's pink behind. He had been the one to cause its coloration. He put down the jar and leaned over the bed and tugged a thin sheet over Elladan. He opened the window and left the room, cool breeze blowing across it.

The guards on duty paused to look at him, their keen eyes running over his tired face before glancing into the room before the door closed. Deciding the guards were satisfied, Elrond wandered down to the living room.

A shriek and a crash in the hallway made him whirl around from the window where he stood. The door burst open and Legolas and Landion spilled into the room, tripping over each other in their hurry. Both elflings looked hot and flushed. Cherry leaves clung to their hair and their hands were stained with juices not to speak of their mouths.

Thranduil's voice called and, moment's later, the elf king rushed into the room. "Arai, Legolas, I told you to run up to your room and clean up before you thought of coming in here. Go do as you are told, both of you! Or you will not help make the pies."

"We came to ask Elrond if Elrohir was back yet," Legolas explained as Thranduil turned him toward the door and pushed him out of the room.

"You can ask him when you have cleaned up else ants will be crawling over you," Thranduil answered, waving his hand. "Shoo!"

Landion paused. "Thranduil, about the vase—"

"I am sure you are very sorry, and you will be cleaning it up," Thranduil interrupted.

Landion darted away with Legolas at his heels. Thranduil looked at Elrond noticed his despondent expression. "What weighs so heavily on your mind?"

"It is Elladan," Elrond answered, beginning to pace.

"What have you done?" Thranduil demanded, taking a step forward.

"I have done nothing," Elrond retorted. His voice dropped, betraying his lie. "I admit I tried to spank him . . . he refused to return to the library and finish his work."

"Elladan would not walk away from his work, much less work given to him as a punishment. Besides, Éire would have been watching him, and I was informed Elladan served out the duration of his punishment until the end. You have made a mistake. Doubtless Elladan tried to explain it to you but I am sure you refused to listen. As for the spanking—"

"He wriggled free and ran after ten seconds or so," Elrond interrupted, continuing his pacing. His heart sank as he realized he had cut off Elladan's attempts to communicate with him, taking them for childish refusal to obey him. "I followed him into his room."

Thranduil's face darkened. "If I find you have beaten him, Elrond, you may as well be back in Rivendell in pieces."

Elrond coughed. "I intended to spank him for his behavior but . . . he seemed so scared . . . he looked like a trapped animal. He sounded like a rabbit caught in a net while a wolf prowls closer. I asked him why. He said he was afraid of me."

"I do not blame him," Thranduil said sourly, folding his arms across his chest. "I cannot think how you missed his fear in the past years. He has lived in terror of you since the day you first "spanked" him."

"But I had never seen it so pronounced," Elrond insisted. "He looked so pale. So alone. He was more the upset. He was weeping puddles onto the floor huddled in his corner. He kept asking for you."

Thranduil made a disgusted noise in the back of his throat. "I will step up and see him. I better not hear any horror stories out of him about what you did."

"I did nothing," Elrond said quietly. "I intended to. He said something about you rubbing ointment into him after I had spanked him in the past. I had him lie down so I could do it but he was shaking so hard."

Thranduil dropped his arms. "No doubt he feared you were going to beat him."

Elrond stopped. "I do not like to see my child shaking in obvious terror of me, Thranduil. It made me feel sick. It made me feel like—I have seen some abused elflings in my time. He looked so similar."

"Indeed," said Thranduil, putting an arm around Legolas's shoulders as his son came to his side. "Now imagine you were home in Rivendell. Let us imagine Elladan fled from one of his punishments. Let us imagine you caught Elladan in his room. Let us imagine you administered what you believed to be punishment. Let us think about how he would have felt if you had "spanked" him after dragging him out of his corner."

Elrond gave a small wince.

"It does not sound pleasant, that," Thranduil agreed. "It sounds like barbaric cruelty. Much like the other so called punishments you have administered in the past."

Elrond sank into a chair and buried his face in his hands. "I feel lost and hollow inside. I do not want to make Elladan feel or look at me like I am about to assault him again. I have seen him fighting against me in a blind fury and heard him scream insults and pleas. It seemed to me natural for him to protest and argue and fight at the time. He expressed his fear in anger and protest and I never saw it into those forms. But I have never seen him so beaten down and shaking; so afraid. I have been blind."

"We tried to tell you," Legolas spoke up. "We tried to open your eyes. But you would not let us."

Thranduil ruffled his blond hair. "Run down to the kitchens, little leaf. Harune is waiting; tell him I will join you in a few minutes."

Legolas nodded and slipped away, his footsteps soft and silent. Thranduil gazed at Elrond, turning as Elrohir walked into the room with Glorfindel behind him. Elrohir froze at the sight of Elrond and Thranduil. He grabbed Thranduil's hand and demanded, "Is Elladan hurt?"

"He is sleeping," Thranduil said.

Elrond looked up at his son's voice and his dull eyes took on a light shine. "Elrohir. I am sorry about what happened last night. Will you forgive me?"

"No," said Elrohir shortly.

Elrond looked like he had been slapped. He recuperated and asked, "Will you come down to the kitchens with me and join Harune while he makes pies?"

Elrohir looked at Thranduil. "Will you be there?"

The elf king nodded. Elrohir looked at Elrond and said, "Yes."

But as he and Elrohir made their way down to the kitchens, Elrond had the distinct feeling Elrohir had come with him only because he knew he would be safe in the presence of Thranduil and Harune. Safe: Where Elrond could not hit him. A wave of loneliness hit the elf lord. Mixed with currents of guilt. For the first time in his life, he was not convinced spanking was the right thing to do, and being wrenched from his roots left him dangling on the edge of a cliff.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: I think you are right. If Elladan had instead used the word "spank" instead of "beaten" it might have made more sense to Elrond. But the elfling cannot view his punishments as anything but beatings. Elrond has a long way to go before he can return home with his sons. He has a long way to go before he will even be permitted to tuck them into bed! Thank you for reading; I love hearing from you.  
**

 **Readers: Thank you so much for taking the time to read the latest chapter in My Word. I appreciate it so much and I love hearing your final thoughts on the chapter!**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond discovers Legolas can behave badly. Very badly indeed!**


	67. I Saw Arrogance

Thranduil met Elrond in the living room. "The twins have run up to bed. However, after past experiences they have specifically asked you are not the one who will tuck them in tonight."

"What?" Elrond exclaimed. "They are my sons. I have every right to tuck them in. It is an insult to me—"

Thranduil blocked Elrond's way forward. "It is not an insult. The twins do not feel as if they can handle another emotional disturbance. Elladan and Elrohir find your presence to be . . . difficult for them at times. After what you did to Elladan, neither one of them wish to have you tuck them in. And I will respect their wishes."

Elrond's brows drew together in a frown. It faded and his shoulders slumped. "I . . . will retire to my chambers then. Out of curiosity, who will be tucking them in tonight?"

"Glorfindel," replied Thranduil calmly. "And, no, you will not be going straight to your room. We cannot miss a night's teachings when we have come a good ways from where we began. While the twins do not wish for you to be the last person they see before sleeping, Legolas does not share their feelings. Harune and I have an engagement to attend to; a late night relaxation, you might say. I have told Legolas to expect you to tuck him in."

"What?"

"He agreed," Thranduil answered without so much as blinking. He consulted the clock. "I do believe he should be ready for you."

Elrond strode past Thranduil, not wishing to display his discomfort at having to put the sunny-haired elfling to sleep. Legolas was not his child; was not even related. And here he was pushed through the door as if he was some kind of . . . nursemaid!

After a quick rap, Elrond plunged into Legolas's room. The elfling looked up at him with a cheeky smile.

"Legolas," said Elrond with a cool nod. "I have been sent by your father to tuck you in and blow out the candle. I see you have reached the end of your chapter; lie down now."

"No," said Legolas. "I do not want to sleep yet. You cannot make me." His eyes challenged Elrond before they flickered back to the book.

Elrond felt his annoyance levels rising. Taking cheek out of this wild elfling was not on his list for today. He would not take such blatant disobedience out of his sons and he would not take it out of Legolas. Perhaps Thranduil had not been as firm as he could be with the elfling; perhaps Legolas needed to have his rough edges knocked off.

"Legolas Greenleaf, do not dare to cheek me," Elrond strode to the edge of the bed and glared down at the boy.

"I am not _cheeking_ you," Legolas returned. "I am not doing what you want. Go away and let me read. I want to finish this book."

Elrond's eyes registered heavy disapproval as he looked at the large section of pages Legolas had left. "You jest surely. It is already past your bedtime. You can finish in the morning."

"I want to finish now," Legolas insisted stubbornly, undaunted by Elrond's glare.

Elrond decided this must be one of the difficult episodes Thranduil had mentioned in the past. "You know how much you are allowed to read, Legolas. Let me have the book."

Legolas snatched the book from Elrond's grasping hand. "No! It is mine and you cannot have it."

Elrond drew in a deep breath, feeling tempted to grab the elfling and give him a sound spanking.

"If you hit me, ada will throw you in the dungeons," Legolas cried, as if sensing his thoughts.

Elrond felt his heart sink as he realized Legolas was right. The dungeons were the last place he wanted to be and he felt as if Thranduil would relish putting him behind bars. Divested of his arsenal of threats, Elrond felt powerless as he stared into Legolas's arrogant eyes.

"What are you going to do?" Legolas challenged.

"If you were my son," Elrond growled.

"I am not," Legolas returned. He settled back down with the clear intention of finishing his book.

Elrond blew out the candle. In the pale light of the moon streaming through the window, he walked to the door with the candle in his hands. "As you wish, Legolas, read if you will. Goodnight." He shut the door with unnecessary force. And stood in the hallway feeling a teeny bit of smug satisfaction well in his chest at the look on Legolas's face.

It faded as the golden glow of candlelight poked out from under the door.

Elrond let out a low bark of disgust and hurled himself back into the room. Legolas sat back against his pillows, a fresh candle flaming at his bedside table. Elrond met Legolas's cool gaze with displeasure. "You try my patience."

"It is not my fault you do not have any," Legolas replied. He jerked back as Elrond swept down on him as if he were afraid of a sharp blow but Elrond wrenched the book from his hands to the sound of tearing paper.

Legolas's eyes lit up in anger. "Now see what you have done! You have destroyed the book! I hate you!"

"The book is torn because you refused to obey me," Elrond snapped. "If you had listened, this would not have happened! If I see another candle on in this room again, Legolas, I-I—"

"You will do what?" Legolas sneered.

Elrond leaned down to stare into Legolas's eyes. "I will take away your bow and arrows. For a week. Do you hear me?"

"No," snapped Legolas. "Get out of my room!"

Elrond whirled, snatched the second candle, and retreated, banging the door. As he stared at it, disgusted by the side of Legolas he had seen, he heard light chuckles coming from within the room. What in Middle Earth . . .?

Elrond whirled around as Thranduil's rolling laugh filled the hallway. Harune and the elf king stood looking at him with mirth filled eyes. Elrond stared at them in confusion until the door opened and Legolas bounced out, demanding, "How did I do, ada?"

"Not too badly, on the whole," Thranduil chuckled, tousling Legolas's already tousled hair. "I will have to give Delaine another copy of _Starlight Feasts_ though."

Elrond looked at the torn book in his hands, blinking as his eyes met a detailed image of a pie, a cookie, and a tiered tray. He flipped it over with a frown, wondering why Legolas would read this. And it slowly dawned on him he had been set up.

"You—you beast!" Elrond gasped, whirling to confront Thranduil.

Thranduil's eyebrows rose. "Really, Elrond, there are children present."

"You staged this," Elrond accused.

Thranduil shrugged. "In a way. I knew you would not hesitate to wrangle Elladan or Elrohir over your knees if they disobeyed you but I knew you would not dare hit Legolas so I left you to find another way to quell his rebellion. After all, if you wish to revise your ways, Elrond, you must find non-violent solutions to the problems that arise."

Elrond shut his mouth as Glorfindel slipped out of the twins' room and put a finger on his lips. Thranduil patted Legolas on the shoulders. "Come along, little leaf, you have had your fun."

"What happened?" Glorfindel asked.

Harune put a hand on the elf lord's arm with a smile. "Nothing notable. Elrond quenched Legolas's flame of rebellion. Come join us on the balcony for a little sip of white wine under the stars. Most relaxing and guaranteed to give a good night's sleep."

"I do not mind if I do," Glorfindel acquiesced.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: As you can see, the twins did not want Elrond to put them to sleep but I think he learned a little something here, don't you? Legolas can be unpleasant if he chooses. Thank you for reading; I love hearing from you.  
**

 **Guest: I think you are right. Elrond is stubborn and admitting things to himself is hard. Thank you for reading!**

 **Readers: Thank you so much for taking the time to share this chapter with me, laughing at Thranduil's set-up, and sharing Elrond's anger. I appreciate it so much and, as always, I love hearing your thoughts.**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas has a nightmare . . .  
**


	68. I See Nightmares

The following day passed by without further incident. The twins were quiet around Elrond and answered a few select questions in cool, subdued voices before leaving him alone. Elrond had managed to squeeze in an apology to Elladan for trying to spank him without reason, but Elladan had merely said coldly, "Even if you had reason it would still have not been right."

"How can I apologize to them if neither one will let me?" Elrond cried in frustration.

Glorfindel met his eyes. "I do not think it is a question of apologizing, Elrond. Words mean nothing to them coming from your mouth. You need to _show_ them you are sorry with your actions."

"I cannot," Elrond grumbled. "I have been told to put Legolas to bed again tonight and promised there is no set-up this time."

"Elladan and Elrohir feel strongly about the way they are treated, Elrond. And they like it as much as you do to be hurt."

"I never meant to hurt them."

"And I am sure neither did your parents," Glorfindel answered.

Elrond looked at him. "What about your parents? Were you spanked?"

"Certainly not," the elf replied. "But I can imagine well enough how it might feel."

"I still wonder if I am doing the right thing," Elrond confessed. He sat down on the sofa. "It is true I dredged up old memories and my spanking experiences reminded me of tangled emotions. I was spanked as a child and I have grown up fine."

"No," said Glorfindel. "You have grown up thinking hitting children is all right. I understand it is a difficult time for you. You feel alone. Changing whole perspectives is no easy task."

"And not one I am bound to do," Elrond said, resting his chin on his upturned hand.

"You are not bound to," Glorfindel agreed. "It is all a matter of how much you love your sons. Elladan and Elrohir will stay here with Thranduil if you cannot provide a home where they will be happy. If you want Elladan and Elrohir to _be_ your sons, you will have to prove to them you can _be_ a father. They are not asking you to be like Thranduil, you realize."

"I realize more then I care to," Elrond snapped. "Here I am, separated by mountains from my home and my wife. Valar knows how she and Arwen are without us! Her letter practically pleads for me to return home, and she worried about the twins!"

Glorfindel shook his head. "Elrond, you created Rivendell to be a safe haven; the last homely house. Do you realize how much of a jest that is when your own children fled from under your roof?"

"It is easier to be with adults," Elrond groaned.

"Indeed," said Glorfindel. "And that is because when people your own size annoy you, you do not have the power to turn them over your knees. The size of a child should not make him the victim of your strength."

Elrond glanced out the window; dusk had settled. Glorfindel had helped himself to plenty of the fine wine from the bottle on the small table at hand. Out on the balcony, Thranduil and Harune were sitting, enjoying the cool night wind and sipping tea with splashes of liquor added to it.

"You are late to tuck Legolas in," Glorfindel acknowledged.

Elrond left his seat. "I will be back. I suppose the twins are already tucked in?"

"Harune took care of it before he went down," Glorfindel answered. "Elladan and Elrohir were tired and wanted to sleep immediately."

Elrond nodded and departed. With luck, Legolas to would be asleep. He knocked on Legolas's door, noticing no golden candlelight glowed from under the bottom. Receiving no reply, he opened the door and peeked into the room. Relief flooded across Elrond as he saw Legolas lay asleep on his side under the blankets, the pillow scrunched under his head. He started to close the door, feeling as though the job had been easy.

A small whimper from Legolas stopped him. Elrond swung the door open again and looked in, his brow creasing. Legolas whimpered again and tossed under the blankets, his eyes squeezed tight. His lips trembled as if he were about to cry and parted a moment later to give breath to a broken whisper of, "No!"

Legolas's small voice sounded alone and plaintive; like an animal in fear. Elrond hovered over the bed, unsure if he should wake the elfling. As Legolas's eyelids fluttered, he reached out to shake him gently awake but jerked back with a start as Legolas shuddered at his touch and cried out, "No!" A helpless plea followed, "Ada . . ."

Elrond whirled and went to fetch Thranduil. The elf king's smile faded at Elrond's arrival and, leaving teacup and silver spoon, he dashed up to his son's room.

The nightmare had worsened in the few minutes Elrond had been absent. The blankets were wrapped tight around his ankles as he tossed, his breathing uneven and heavy. Legolas whimpered, his fingers clutching at the sheets as his jumbled words came out.

Thranduil sat down on the side of the bed and touched Legolas's shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. As Legolas's eyelids fluttered, Thranduil swung his legs onto the bed and pulled the elfling to his chest. Legolas's fingers grasped for his tunic and fastened on tight, clinging to the cloth with desperation.

"Ada," Legolas choked out, forcing his eyes open.

"Right here, little leaf," Thranduil said quietly, shifting back against the headboard and reaching for a thin sheet to cover Legolas with. "It is all right; you are safe."

Legolas snuffled into his chest, his face hidden in Thranduil's shirt. He held onto his father, giving vent to small sobs.

"Nightmares have not troubled you in many months," Thranduil said, rubbing Legolas's back to calm him. "I can tell this one was not pleasant. Would you like to tell me about it?"

Legolas gave a tiny shake of his head and huddled closer into Thranduil's warm body. Thranduil did not push for answers; he turned his fingers to comb through Legolas's hair and held him close, rocking slightly. Legolas's sobs quieted and he calmed though his fingers remained tight on Thranduil's shirt, as if he feared being snatched and wrenched away. He shifted to rest his cheek over his father's heart.

In a hoarse whisper, Legolas said, "I-It was not all about Lord Katar. I dreamed of Lord Katar beating me. And—and then I dreamed of Elrond hitting the twins . . ."

Thranduil closed his eyes and hugged Legolas a little closer. The elfling squirmed and choked out, "I-I dreamed you—you were spa—spanking me, ada. Like Elrond does. And you would not stop." His eyes filled with tears. "I begged and begged-I said I was sorry but you held me down so tight and kept slapping-you would not stop! And it hurt so much!"

"Oh, Legolas," Thranduil said in distress, resting his cheek on the top of Legolas's soft head as he rocked. "I would not spank you. You know that."

Legolas sniffed, shaking the tears off his cheeks. "H-have you ever wanted to?"

"No," Thranduil said quietly, taking the question in stride. "I know you will doubt my answer, Legolas, but it is true. There have been times when I have slapped you out of sheer frustration and screamed out of anger. There have been times when I have shaken you in bouts of impatience. But even when you have worn my nerves to the bone and left them shredded, I have never once thought of turning you over my knee and spanking you. Never."

"Never?" Legolas said in a small voice.

"Never, and I will put my word to it. I know what it is like to be spanked, Legolas; how it feels and how much it hurts inside as well as out. But I never once believed it was right to use violence to discipline children."

"H-have you ever w-wanted to beat me? Like Lord Katar used to?"

Thranduil sensed Legolas's nightmare had shaken him and caused his trust to waver. He kissed the top of Legolas's head. "No, little leaf, beating people is not in me. I have never done and will never do worst then slap you when my wits are no more."

Legolas moved a hand to wipe his running nose. "I-I know I am awful sometimes, ada. I know I whine and nag sometimes. I-I do not mean to make you angry or upset."

"I know," Thranduil said soothingly. "I have done my share of whining and nagging to. We never mean to; we want to get what want and by asking for it repeatedly, we think we will."

"I am sorry," Legolas snuffled.

"You do not need to be sorry, little leaf. There is nothing to be sorry for."

Legolas clasped his arms around his father's neck and rested his head on his shoulder. A few tears trickled down his cheeks before the flow stopped and he said, "You can rejoin Harune now, if you want. I know he is waiting."

"And I know you need me a lot more then he does," Thranduil said, stroking the head of blond hair on his shoulder.

Legolas hesitated. "I-I know I am your son but—you—I—" He ended with a groan of frustration. "I do not want to _steal_ your time."

"Legolas, I give you my time with an open heart because I love you, and I like to spend it with you."

"It is an awfully unfair exchange," Legolas said in a small voice.

"No, it is not. You give me more then enough happiness. I know you were used to working for your food and warmth with Lord Katar but that is not how families work. I am here to provide for you, ion nin. You are all I will ever ask in return."

A small smile came to Legolas's lips, accompanied by several sparkling tears. "You are the best ada in the world."

"And you, little leaf, are the most wonderful son a father could ask for."

As Thranduil settled down, he reached over and blew out the candle. Legolas snuggled against him under the cool sheet, his nightmare dulled by a father's love, and his sleep undaunted by bad dreams. Elrond slipped out of the room, feeling a shred of guilt for staying though Thranduil had not asked him to leave, and a crushing wave of despair.

Elladan and Elrohir had never come to him with such faith; had never asked such personal questions. The twins had asked him to stop spanking and what had he done? He had pushed them away. Told them they did not understand. Elladan and Elrohir would never come to cuddle up beside him. Why, they had slept in cradles since they were babies.

Shoulders slumping, Elrond crept into his room and closed the door, his heart heavy. He wanted to make it up to his sons but who would have thought a simple little thing would be so hard?

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Thranduil and Harune all have different ideas of lessons. Whether Elrond learned anything from his experience is yet to be seen but everything deserves a try. Thank you so much for reading; I love hearing from you.  
**

 **Guest: Chuckles. Elrond should have thought of taking the matches sooner! And yes, he does need to learn patience and tolerance. I think that will be a challenge for him! Thank you so much for reading; I appreciate it so much.**

 **Readers: I love hearing from you after each new chapter; getting a peek at your thoughts means so much to me.**

 **Next Chapter: Thranduil is forced to push the twins away . . .**


	69. I See Stars

Thranduil yawned as he started up from his chair and put down the book he had at last managed to finish. Legolas joined him as he walked to the window and stood, looking out at the stars over the treetops. Warm air blew through the frame and drifted across the room, smelling of fresh flowers and cool earth.

"It such a lovely night," Thranduil said.

"I do not want to sleep," Legolas answered.

Thranduil grinned and steered him out of the room. "Hop along, Legolas. It is hours past your bedtime; I did not realize you had stayed in the room while I was reading."

"Do I have to sleep?" Legolas persisted.

The door closed and cut off Thranduil's reply. Harune stretched in his seat and took his hand off Landion's head on his knee. Landion stirred from his seat on the floor and looked up as Harune said, "Stand up, Landion, it is high time we went to bed."

"It is such a nice night," Landion protested. "And so warm. I do not mind sleeping but I do not want to sleep in bed. Can we take some sheets and pillows and lie down under the stars, ada?"

Harune smiled and nodded. "Of course we can. Come; help me take some of the pillows and blankets off my bed. I know of a cool glade by the creek you will like."

"I will like the sound of the creek gurgling," Landion answered as he climbed to his feet and accompanied Harune out of the room.

Elrohir and Elladan started to their feet. "Maybe Thranduil will come lie down with us under the stars if we ask him to."

As the twins left the room, Elrond sat and thought about how easy it would have been for Elladan and Elrohir to turn to him. He lifted himself from his chair and bid Glorfindel goodnight. His feet trod the familiar floor up to his chambers without ado as his mind turned over Elladan and Elrohir's unwillingness to turn to him. In the hallway he stopped as he saw Thranduil and Harune with blankets and pillows in their arms, facing the twins.

"Can we come with you?" Elladan asked.

Legolas and Landion fidgeted, exchanging uncomfortable glances with their respective parents. Finally Legolas said, "We would welcome you but . . . I want to be alone with my ada tonight and so does Landion. You can come with us tomorrow night."

Elrond watched the twins' shoulders slump. Thranduil said, "I will tuck you and Elrohir in if you would like me to."

Elrohir swallowed and shook his head. "No . . . we will be all right."

Thranduil leaned down to give the twins a kiss goodnight before he took Legolas's hand and slipped past Elrond, an almost regretful look on his face as he looked back at the twins dejected forms. He knew they felt unwanted and rejected inside.

As Harune and Landion passed him, Elrond felt Glorfindel's hand on his shoulder push him forward. He turned to glance at his companion, hearing the door to his sons' room close as Elladan and Elrohir trailed inside.

"What?" Elrond asked.

"This is your chance," Glorfindel urged. "Go ask them if they want to go out with you. You have said many times how you wish you had an opportunity to bond with them."

"They will say no," Elrond said. "It is no use."

"You do not know what they will say," Glorfindel answered. "But you will not find out unless you ask. Do not throw away the chance."

Elrond looked at the closed door with a gleam of hope in his eyes. He stepped up to it and knocked, peeking into the room a moment later. Elladan and Elrohir looked up at him from their bed, lonely eyes piercing his heart.

"Please leave," Elrohir said, sitting up from his sprawl on the bedspread. "We do not wish to be tucked in by you."

"I came to ask if you would like to lie under the stars with me," Elrond said, stepping into the room. "Do you want to join me?"

Elrohir stared at Elrond as Elladan sat up beside him. Elrohir turned his head to look at Elladan as if asking for silent support.

"All right," Elladan said slowly. "We will come. Tonight." He looked into Elrond's eyes as he slid off the bed and reached to tug off the blankets and pillows. Elrohir came to join him. Pillows and blankets in hand, the three made their way out of the palace and climbed the hill from the back door.

Thranduil nor Harune were in sight as Elrond spread out the blankets on the flat crest of the hill and let the twins arranged the pillows. The night was warm so Elrond left a lone blanket to cover him and the twins with. Elrond flopped down on his back and plumped a pillow under his head. He half-expected the twins to come cuddle against him but Elladan and Elrohir made themselves comfortable to his left, careful not to touch him. A wave of disappointment touched Elrond's heart but he swallowed it, reminding himself he was lucky to have the twins agree to come out with him to begin with.

Elladan twisted to look at him as Elrond spread the blanket over the three of them, his eyes cautious. As Elrond smiled and lay back, he relaxed and turned his eyes to the sky.

"Goodnight," he said. Both Elrond and Elrohir murmured their replies. The stars winked down on the three elves and the breeze blew to cool them but not one of them stirred.

When the first rays of the sun broke over the trees, filtering through the top branches, Elrond shook his head and propped himself up on his elbows, sitting up with a groan. He brushed his hair from his eyes and let his hands fall into his lap. He looked toward Elladan and Elrohir but the elflings were gone.

Elrond looked up as a shriek sounded and his sons burst from the trees, racing toward him. Elladan pursued his brother and, near the blanket, Elrohir tripped over a rock and went sprawling. Elrond winced as Elladan hurled himself on his twin, grappling him. He and Elrohir rolled but whether the resulting screams and shrieks came from Elladan or Elrohir Elrond could not tell.

As Elrohir let out a pained yowl, Elrond snapped, "Elladan, stop it. You are hurting your brother."

"It is not him," Elrohir answered, arching his back as he dug under himself with his hand. He produced something with a triumphant grin. "It is this rock!"

Elrohir tossed the rock into the trees and pushed Elladan off him as he stood. "I am hungry."

"Help me gather up these blankets and pillows and we will return to the palace," Elrond answered, standing up. He reached for the pillows and piled them into Elladan's arms. "Breakfast will be soon."

Elladan trotted ahead, the heap of pillows tottering in his arms. Elrond and Elrohir followed with the remainder of the blankets and pillows. The trio wound their way up the back stairs from the kitchen into the upper halls, and made their way back to the twins' rooms.

Elladan and Elrohir hurled off their burdens, hurried into their clothes, and made a move toward the door but Elrond stopped them. "Tidy your room first."

Elladan and Elrohir looked back the heap of pillows and blankets spread across their bed and spilling onto the floor and their faces registered dismay. "But we want to eat first."

"You will not eat until you have made your bed," Elrond answered. He blocked the doorway and folded his arms. "I will stand here until it is done."

Elladan looked back the tangled sheets. After a moment he faced Elrond, "All right, we will make the bed, but you helped pull everything off so it is only fair you help us put everything back on."

Elrond gave a short nod and went to one side of the bed as the twins faced him from the opposite side. The sheets and pillows made their way from an untidy heap on the floor onto the bed. Tucking down the bedspread, the twins dashed from the room, running ahead as Elrond plunged into his room to dress.

* * *

 **And I dare say Elladan is right! A night under the stars with his sons has given Elrond a chance at loving them. Will he continue to learn or fall once again into a pit of blackness?  
**

 **Thank you all for reading; I love hearing from you and I cannot wait to hear your thoughts.**

 **The first person to review this will be the lucky soul to give me 200 reviews! Will it be you? Thank you all for showing your support and sharing your thoughts with me.  
**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas is naughty. Again.**


	70. I Felt Guilt

Thranduil and Harune greeted Elladan and Elrohir at the breakfast table as Galion unloaded the plates from his tray. "Good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"We slept outside," Elladan answered as he slid into his seat opposite Legolas. "With Elrond. We woke up before him."

"I am glad you slept well," Thranduil said, turning to thank Galion as Elrond crossed the room to sit down.

"I have a long string of meetings today," Thranduil remarked.

"Is that why you put on the black silk tunic?" Legolas asked.

"Not to mention the crown at the breakfast table," Landion added, looking at the twisted spirals and twisting leaves and sticks rising from Thranduil's combed hair.

"I know we must bow to you on the throne but it is an insult to have to do at breakfast," Legolas teased.

Thranduil gave him a suffering look. "Yes, Legolas and Landion, the meetings are why I have donned fine silks and my crown. There will not be time to change after the meal—Legolas Greenleaf, if you splash me with your milk . . . !"

Legolas grinned and put his glass back down on the table. A sudden thought occurred to him. "Ada, it is the day of the stag hunt. You said you would take me with you."

"So I did," Thranduil agreed. "The hunt is not until late noon. My meetings are sure to be over come the high rise of the sun. I am sure there will be time to join the hunt."

"Stag hunt?" Elrond asked, looking down the table at the regal figure in the crown, with the black silk of his silver-threaded tunic smooth across his shoulders.

"Once every year at mid summer, there is a stag hunt throughout Mirkwood," Thranduil explained, the rings on his fingers clinking. He held up a hand to stop Legolas from interrupting as he continued, "The nobles of the wood hunt down stags in the forest. After the hunt, the meat is smoked and then—"

"And then we spend _weeks_ eating the meat under the stars around fires and celebrating," Legolas cut in. "Everyone comes and wine flows and rivers."

"Legolas," said Thranduil severely. "I have told you not to interrupt."

"Sorry, ada," the elfling answered and retired with his hands clasped together complacently, "But, ada, it must be a important meeting if you are wearing jewels."

Thranduil looked at his rings. "These meetings come up once a year and require a full display of my wardrobe."

Legolas frowned as he looked at the blue stones held in place with silver and the rubies encrusted in gold. "But I thought you said the emeralds—"

Thranduil's eyebrow twitched. "You have been poking in my jewel cases."

Legolas squirmed. "Maybe a little. Landion and I like to see them sparkle."

"Landion to!" Harune exclaimed as Landion turned red. "And you, Elladan and Elrohir? Have you been joining them?"

"No," Elladan answered with a shake of his head.

Thranduil rose to his feet, collecting the folds of his red mantle from his chair. Sweeping the silk around him, he said, "Stay out of the jewel cases, please, Legolas."

"I like the jewels better when they twinkle on you," Legolas answered.

Thranduil left the room, blowing a kiss back to Legolas. The sleek cut of his tunic touched the floor as he walked. The last swish of his mantle faded from Legolas's ears.

"You will be late to your lessons," Harune said, rising to his feet. "Run along. And, Landion, stay out of those jewel cases!"

"Yes, ada," Landion said with sigh. He brightened. "Although I suppose one day some of them will be mine." He skipped from the room.

Harune moved to pile the dishes onto Galion's tray as the elf entered the room. Glorfindel finished his coffee. "I must see these jewels."

"Oh, you will have a full taste of their splendor," Harune assured him. "Two days from now Thranduil will truly don his royal robes and go to lead the ceremonies of returning life to the forest. It is _Tarnin Austa_ and there will be a ceremony to celebrate the life of the forest as well as the first day of summer. All of Mirkwood will fill these halls."

"Reveling," said Glorfindel with a sigh.

"You will have your fill," Harune answered. "But first the Stag Hunts must be done, the ceremonies of Tarnin Austa fulfilled, and then the five nights of feasting will begin."

"I have never celebrated Midsummer in such a manner," Elrond said.

"We do not celebrate it as the Noldor do," Harune replied. His eyes twinkled. "We are, after all, earthly barbarians and lowly silvan elves."

"The King's father insults his own kind now, I see," Galion said as he balanced his laden tray and collected the last few glasses with his free hand.

Harune looked at him mildly. "Really, Galion, what am I training you for if you dilly-dally around all the time? This table should have been empty hours ago."

"At least you do not deny it," Galion said as he left the room, dishing clicking on the tray.

"I look forward to Tarnin Austa," Glorfindel said as he rose. "With sufficient reason perhaps I can even convince the master of the hunt to let me join the hunt as a . . . guest of honor."

"You will be welcome," Harune replied. "There will be plenty of young elflings with the huntsmen for you to mind. Many parents bring their children with them to experience the thrill of the hunt, typically at Legolas's age. It is sort of ritual among us. The passage of a very small elfling into the next cycle of life."

"No wonder Legolas's eyes were so bright," Glorfindel said.

* * *

Elrond looked up as Legolas bounced into the living room, the shadows coming in through the window marking noon. Thranduil stood with his back to the door, head bent.

"Ada, the hunt is beginning. Can we go now?"

Thranduil turned around with a sheaf of papers in his hand and a pen tapping against his lips. "I am sorry, Legolas, but we cannot join the hunt today. I have unexpected work to do in preparation for the upcoming meetings tomorrow and I cannot put it off until later."

Legolas's smile faded. "What? But—but you _said_ —"

"I know I said," Thranduil said gently, seeing the tears spring into Legolas's eyes. "And I wish I could. But I realized not this work would be so urgent. It should have been completed a few days ago, but the documents were late in coming. I am sorry, Legolas."

Legolas chomped down on his lower lip and his hands curled into fists. "You are not sorry, and I do not care if you are! You lied! All you ever do is work!"

"Legolas!" Thranduil reached out a hand but his son whirled and ran from the room, slamming the door on his choked sobs.

Thranduil frowned as he sat and Harune said, "Let him be, Thranduil. He will not listen to you now. Give him an hour to calm down. He knows you have not lied and he understands why you cannot go. Right now he does not want to accept it."

Thranduil looked to the door again before his brow smoothened out. He drew in a deep breath and, the sheaf of papers on his knees; he dipped the pen back into the inkbottle at his side. The scratching of the pen filled the silent room.

And Legolas? Harune spoke true. Legolas did not want to accept Thranduil's reasons or his apology. Legolas sniffed back his tears as he walked; angry Thranduil had gone back on his word. Work! That was all he ever did, and it was not fair! He hated it. Horrid office.

Legolas stood in the door to Thranduil's office and surveyed the pile of papers on his father's desk. He frowned angrily, thinking of all the work waiting on it for his father. He would never go on the Stag Hunt. He could not wait until next year. It was not fair!

Legolas snatched an inkbottle from the desk and upended it over a small stack of neatly piled documents in the center of the desk. Stupid documents. It was their fault ada had to work-stacks and stacks of them. All over the place. He glared at the dark ink as it soaked through the paper, feeling strangely satisfied as he imagined Thranduil's face. He wanted to make Thranduil hurt as much as he hurt now from rejection. Ada had lied to him.

Legolas sat down dumbly in the seat and stared at the pooling ink in sudden horror at what he had done. The inkbottle in his hand crashed to the floor as it slipped from his fingers. His anger drained away like the ink and left him feeling empty and guilty inside.

Ada had not lied. But what had he done?

Legolas stared in frightened horror at the papers. He tried to peel them apart in desperate hopes of saving some of them but the ink had done more then damage. All decipherable letters were mixed into the stains of black. Swallowing, Legolas backed away from the desk and slipped out of the office. He closed to door and leaned hard against it, wondering what to do.

He went in search of Harune.

"Harune, if you had done something bad and you felt awful about it, what would you do?"

Harune looked over the top of a pile of snowy sheets and squinted at Legolas in suspicion. "Legolas, I cannot put myself in your place. You will have to find the answer to your question on your own."

* * *

Erestor and Ariel approached Celebrian in the sitting room. The Lady of Rivendell bounced Arwen on her knee as the baby giggled.

Celebrian looked up and welcomed the couple, sitting Arwen on the floor and providing her with a silver rattle.

"Have you decided you need a break from work yet, Ariel?" she inquired.

Ariel smiled and patted her stomach. "No, not yet. The baby is still small, and I have two able assistants to help me with heavy work. No, Erestor and I wish to celebrate out wedding."

Celebrian made a little motion with her shoulders. "I see nothing wrong in that."

"We know Lord Elrond and Lord Glorfindel have not yet returned," Erestor explained. He coughed. "We know also they may not be back for a long while."

Celebrian took Ariel's hands. "I know you have no wish to wait. I understand why my sons do not wish to come home. I know Glorfindel must be there to help Elrond learn what I have already learned. It is good of you to be willing to wait but let us celebrate. The whole of Rivendell will rejoice with you."

* * *

 **Little elflings are prone to do things in fits of high emotions they will regret later. We all know what Elrond would have done but what will Thranduil do?  
**

 **Thank you all for reading; I appreciate the time you take to read My Word and I love reading your comments and thoughts on each chapter!**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond witnesses Thranduil's rage.**


	71. I See Dusk

Legolas slipped away, leaving Harune in the linen closet with a rapidly sinking heart. Ada would be furious. He could continue life as if nothing had happened but he knew Thranduil would find the ruined papers; would know it was him soon enough. He could hide. And wait for Thranduil's wrath to die down. But the dread would be too much. He could not.

Several minutes later, Legolas trailed into the living room with his hands behind his back. Thranduil looked at him from his chair, his eyes smiling and unsuspecting.

"Oh, Legolas, I am sorry I cannot take you on the Stag Hunt today. There will be time tomorrow, I promise. There is no need to look so morose."

Inside, Legolas gulped. "I-It is not that, ada. I-I have done something horrible. I wish I could undo it but—I—I cannot . . ."

Thranduil put aside the papers on his lap and laid his pen down on top of them. He rose to his feet with a frown. "Well, whatever you have done cannot be worse then what you have done in the past. What is it?"

"It is worse," Legolas said faintly. "Much worse." His voice captured the attention of the entire room. The eyes of Elrond, the twins, and Glorfindel all looked into him.

"Tell me what it is. Is something broken?" Something occurred to Thranduil. "Legolas Greenleaf, you have not lost one of my jewels, have you?" He pictured worst. "Or broken it?"

"I-I," Legolas stammered. "N-no—" He brought his hands into view, unable to explain what he had done without choking on his words. The fragile, tearing documents clutched in his hands had bled ink onto his skin.

Thranduil looked at them in incomprehension. "I see you have spilled some ink. Are these from your homework?"

"No," Legolas whispered. "They—they came from your desk . . ."

"My desk?" Thranduil demanded. "What in Middle Earth were you doing in my office without permission—gracious valar, which ones were they?" He snatched the pile of documents and peered at the first page, a frown of worry marring his features.

Legolas stood in misery knowing he need not answer the question. A moment later Thranduil let out a furious scream. Legolas jumped as Thranduil's hand on his arm dragged him close.

"Do you know what you have done?" Thranduil snapped. "These are the only copies I had—I threw out the old ones this morning—I needed them for tomorrow evening, Legolas, and you have destroyed them!"

"I am sorry," Legolas cried, jerking back. "I did not mean to—I was angry you would not take me on the Stag Hunt! I did it without thinking—I am sorry—truly I am!"

"You did this on purpose?" Thranduil asked in a low voice. "You disrespectful child! You disobeyed me; went into my office and now-now you-how dare you?"

"No-yes—no—ada, I am sorry. I sat and wished I could fix it but—"

"I have been patient with you, Legolas. But this is inexcusable. I will not tolerate your behavior. Do hear me?"

"I am sorry," Legolas sobbed. "OW!"

"You had no right to be in my office!" Thranduil screamed as Legolas stumbled back under the force of his slap. "You hateful child! Get out of my sight! Go to your room and stay there! Do you hear me? If I see you again today, Legolas, I am will strangle you!"

Tears pooled in Legolas's eyes. "I am sorry."

"I do not want to hear your pathetic excuses nor see your pitiful tears. You are not sorry and you know it!" Thranduil's rough push shoved Legolas from the room. He slammed the door on Legolas's choked sobs.

The sound of running feet marked Legolas's retreat to his room. The door opened a moment later and Harune looked in. "Thranduil, what happened? There is a red mark on Legolas's cheek."

"Ruined!" Thranduil groaned, attempting to peel apart the papers. The fragile parchment, heavy with ink, tore in his hands. Thranduil looked at the mass as it fell apart in his hands and glanced up at Harune.

Harune glanced at the torn paper as Thranduil flung it viciously into the hearth. "My lone copies and that beastly child has to go and _ruin_ them out of spite! He has gone too far this time, Harune. Too far!"

"There is no need to yell," Harune said. "I am right here. Elladan, Elrohir, I think you should run down to the kitchens and ask the cook for a plate of cookies and milk. And you could take Legolas—"

"Absolutely not!" Thranduil snapped. "He has crossed the line and he has got to know it. He can sit in his room until I tell him to leave and no one, not even you, is to go and see him. Do I make myself clear?"

"He knows he has crossed the line, ion," Harune said coolly. "I think he knew the moment the ink bottle emptied. It took a lot of his courage to come and show you what he had done when he could have instead said nothing."

"Harune, I needed those papers for my meeting tomorrow. They were _essential._ My refusal to take Legolas on the Stag Hunt today is no excuse for him to destroy my personal property!"

Harune stepped back. "You will have to make do without your papers, Thranduil. I do not know if you can make do without your son."

"Are you trying to imply I am treating him badly?"

"I do think you are being a little harsh," Harune said, his voice rising a notch.

Elladan and Elrohir lingered in the doorway before slipping out the door, exchanging worried glances.

"Too harsh?" Thranduil snorted. "What utter rot. He is the one who crossed the line, not me. I have taken all I could but this is not a broken vase or stolen cookies. This is the spiteful destruction of official property! He has to learn the difference!"

As Elrond opened his mouth, Thranduil whirled on him and sliced his sentence in half. "And do not dare tell me if I had spanked him for the former offenses this would not have happened."

Elrond retreated under the furious gaze.

"I do not know how in the world I will make do without my papers," Thranduil said. "But Legolas is staying in his room as punishment for his wrong actions and that is that!" He banged the door as he left the room.

Harune hoped an hour in his chambers would calm Thranduil but his son emerged and his rage had only escalated.

"No replacements," Thranduil grumbled as he slammed himself into his seat at the dinner table.

"Where is Legolas?" Harune asked.

"Eating dry bread and milk in his room!" Thranduil returned.

"Thranduil, he is sorry. Life will continue without your papers. But your son's life is marred by pain."

"My _son_ ," said Thranduil. "Has gone too far. He has to learn I will not tolerate some of his behavior. He needs to understand he cannot feel free to take his anger out on official property not belonging to him. He will stay in his room until I feel he has sat there long enough!"

"You will hurt yourself as well as him," Harune warned. He muttered something under his breath and turned away.

Elladan and Elrohir exchanged looks over the table, their dark eyes almost frightened by the sudden appearance of Thranduil's angry half. Landion squirmed in his seat, at ill at ease as the twins.

"I do not believe we are hungry," Harune said, letting his hands fall into his lap.

Above the dining room, silent in his room, Legolas choked down his cold dinner, hot tears streaming down his cheeks. He crawled back into his bed and curled into a tight ball.

Ada had come to bang down the tray of food for him and left, deaf to his apologies. Legolas could not be sure if he had been locked into his room but he felt caged. Alone and trapped. He wanted to tell ada how sorry he was but ada would not _listen._

Legolas sniffled again, knowing no one would come to comfort him. The darkness around him offered little comfort and the usual warmth of his bed felt hard. All he wanted was Thranduil's arms around him and a kiss saying he was forgiven.

He had not _meant_ to destroy the documents. He had not!

The tears stopped, leaving the pillow wet. Legolas left his sticky sheets and walked to stand in the cool wind blowing through the window. It calmed him in the same way the stars overhead helped settle his nerves.

What could he do to fix his mistake? He did not like to make ada upset. He did not want ada to be mad at him. If Thranduil would not listen to him, he would have to find a way to show ada how sorry he was.

Legolas crossed the room and tried the door handle. It turned and the door opened. He peeked out into the hallway. He put a foot outside and remembered the tray in his room. Someone was sure to come and fetch it.

Legolas returned to his bed and waited. A quiet servant came to retrieve the tray, offering no words but a sympathetic glance at the pale elflings before he left. Legolas jumped from his blankets as the elf's footsteps died down and slipped from his room.

His heart pounded in his chest; he knew he had been confined to his room. He knew he would be in worst trouble if he was caught out of his room. His nerves were jittery as he scurried toward Thranduil's office in the dark corridors, pushing thoughts of further punishment out of his mind.

* * *

Erestor sat on the high hill, looking down at the lights shining in the trees. The sound of the music from the lit dales floated up to his ears, where dozens of elves danced and feasted on the food the kitchens had turned out for the wedding.

"I do not suppose I can eat much more," Ariel said, lying on her back.

Erestor looked at her white dress and teased, "You will burst your seams, dearest."

Ariel sat up, the loose folds of her dress fluttering in a warm breeze. "I hope you do not mind we cannot have a proper honeymoon because of the baby."

Erestor put a hand on her slight stomach. "The baby is gift enough for the both of us, Ariel. It is not every elf who marries his wife and child on the same day."

Ariel slapped him on the arm. "Really, Erestor, you have had too much wine. Come, I believe I can dance a little more."

* * *

 **While Erestor and his wife are married in Rivendell, Thranduil is exploding in Mirkwood. And here is Legolas, ignoring his punishment. What will Thranduil say?  
**

 **Thank you all for reading; I love hearing from you and I cannot wait to here your thoughts on this chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas tries once again to say he is sorry.**


	72. I Wept Tears

Thranduil tossed in his bed, one arm thrown across his face. He knew Legolas was lying alone in bed, his hot tears soaking into his pillow. He wanted to go and hug his son but he could not bring himself to forgive Legolas's actions. Because of Legolas, he would have to face a tableful of council members without his papers and somehow explain their destruction. There was no time to rewrite them.

Thranduil frowned as he rolled over, clenching his pillow under his head. His thoughts drifted to Legolas and he kicked off the blankets. Legolas had no right to destroy official property, no matter how upset he was! Absolutely no right!

Thranduil felt a father's sympathy for his son as he thought of Legolas alone in his room, sad and sorry, but forced himself not to leave his bed. Legolas had to learn his lesson. His apologizes were worthless unless he understood the wrong he had done.

Thranduil rolled onto his stomach and fell into a disturbed night's sleep. He dreamed of Legolas's face, covered in bruises, and the wails of an abandoned child.

The king of Mirkwood awoke with a heavy heart, guilt over his treatment of Legolas's weighing him down. He dressed and combed his hair, prepared for his meeting without the papers not worth the love of his son. He knew breakfast would have to be rushed and he would need to be ready to leave dressed for the meeting. In the folds of his silver robe, he slipped an emerald ring onto one finger, a sapphire onto another, both of gigantic but graceful proportions set in mithril, and lifted a crown entwined with sparkling green stones from its velvet lined box. Setting the crown on his head, he settled it into his hair, admired the effect of the smooth lines, and looked with indecision over two mantles; one of blue silk lined with gold and the other of black silk lined with silver.

Draping both over his arm, he went in search of Harune. He found his father in the living room with Landion, the twins, Elrond, and Glorfindel.

"Another meeting?" Landion asked, looking over Thranduil's silver robe of rustling silk and the twinkling jewels.

"Indeed," Thranduil said. "Ada—"

"Your treatment of Legolas is utterly disgraceful," Harune interrupted, holding up a hand with accusing eyes. "You cannot treat him like a beast much longer, Thranduil. You have already hurt him."

"I know," Thranduil said softly. "I awoke and knew I needed to apologize."

"Have you?"

"No. I mean to go up and say I am sorry in a minute. But first—"

The door opened and Thranduil turned, his regretful features sharpening into lines of sternness as Legolas came into the room with his hands behind his back and his eyes down.

Thranduil bit his lip. "Legolas, I told you to stay in your room until I gave you permission to leave."

A shudder ran through Legolas and Harune half stepped forward as the elfling burst into tears.

"Please do not hit me again, please do not hit me again. Please do not. I am sorry, I am sorry."

A flash of worry crossed Thranduil's features and he knelt to hug Legolas to his chest. "I am the one who is sorry, my little lead; sorry I hurt you and refused to accept your apology."

Legolas sniffled and clutched at his shirt. "I-I know I should not have left my room, ada, and I will return to it—I will—but I wanted to give you these first and—and I thought you might not come to see me . . ."

Thranduil took the file Legolas put into his hands and laid it aside. He ran a hand over Legolas's hair and looked into his tired eyes. "You have left your room without permission so you will stay there until I come and say you may leave. Tomorrow you will spend the entire day with Master Elemil."

Legolas's face fell. "Must it be him? He makes me do all the nasty work."

"What you have done is not what I will call nice," Thranduil said sternly. "You will clean the cellars with him."

Legolas nodded. Thranduil knelt in front of him and lifted his chin. "But, Legolas, you will not enter my office again without me there. And, no matter angry you are or how wronged you feel, you will not destroy property of any kind."

Legolas's face flushed red. He tried to look away, cringing in shame, but Thranduil held his face straight.

"I will help you find another way to let go of your anger," Thranduil said. "But destroying things is not acceptable."

"Yes, ada," Legolas said. "I understand why you had to say no to me but I was unwilling to accept it at the time—I wanted to go on the Stag Hunt for so long and it was hard to let my disappointment go but I know you did not refuse to hurt me."

He gave a weak smile and his eyes dropped to the floor.

"Before you return to your room, I want you to explain to me why you destroyed my documents."

Legolas fidgeted. "I _did_ mean to do it. I wanted to show you how I felt. I guess I felt as if the documents on your desk were responsible for the work you have to do and the time it takes. I suppose I wanted to hurt the documents for taking your time away more than I wanted to hurt you. I cannot hurt you, ada, I _love_ you."

Legolas twisted his hands in his robe. "I knew _after_ I emptied the ink I had done a bad thing. I knew . . . destroying documents would not alter the present. I wanted you hide; I was scared of what you would do, but I could not cower so I came to you. I kept hoping you would listen—that you would let me explain—but then you _hit_ me and . . ."

Legolas swallowed and lowered his eyes.

"I could have made you listen," he whispered. "And you would have given me the chance to explain. I know you would have."

"Oh?" Thranduil asked.

"But you hit me," Legolas blurted. "You were screaming and you hit really hard. I have never seen you so angry and—and you turned into Lord Katar just for a moment. I could not think how to say what I meant; all I could do was what I used to do when Lord Katar was beating me. I kept apologizing; my mind would do nothing else. It never made him stop hitting me but he hit harder when I said anything else and my body must have remembered my old response to—to his abuse and mimicked it . . ." His voice trailed off and he shrugged.

Thranduil rose to his feet and whirled away to face the wall. Elrond saw his hands clenched tight at his sides as the elf king faced the wall, his eyes squeezed shut and his lower lip trembling. Silver tears escaped from under his lashes.

"Ada?" Legolas said.

Harune put a hand on Thranduil's shoulder and Elrond saw him make a visible effort to wrestle his face under control. Thranduil turned to face his son. He knelt and touched Legolas's shoulder. "I am not patient by nature, ion nin, and I have fought for years to control my temper and not hurt the people I love but I have only succeeded in taming a small part of it."

Thranduil drew in a deep breath and put his hands on Legolas's shoulders. "Ion nin, I am angry nearly every day. With every broken vase and spilled cup and meeting gone wrong, I wanted to explode. But I control myself for you, for me, for the whole of Mirkwood. I am sorry I am so flawed; if I could change myself to be perfect, I would. I am sorry that, when you needed it most, I failed to control myself. Deeply, deeply sorry."

"But it is not your fault. I am the one who emptied—"

"There is no one to blame," Thranduil said, cutting him off gently and using the back of his sleeve to wipe a tear from his face. "We both made mistakes. Please forgive mine."

Legolas bit his lip as it trembled and leaned forward to bury himself in Thranduil's embrace. "I forgive you, ada, and I accept your apology. Can you accept mine?"

"I already have. I should not have turned the loss of my papers into the end of the world. In the future, I promise to make more of an effort to control myself, especially when you do something wrong. I do not want to turn into Lord Katar to you again. Ever."

"I promise to try to not make you so angry," Legolas said. "I-I do not like it when someone I love makes me feel afraid."

Thranduil kissed the top of his head. He glanced at the clock and asked, "Are you afraid now?"

Legolas shook his head. Thranduil stood. "I must hurry to my meeting now. Now, before you return to your room, I want you to do something. Go to the library and ask Master Eire to give you a scroll with the words " _I will remember to understand my emotions before making decisions"._ Pin it beside your mirror and read it every morning."

Thranduil flipped through the file Legolas had given him. He frowned at the top page, his eyes widening and quickly riffled through the rest of the stack. He looked up and demanded, "Legolas, where did you get these?"

"You said you threw out your only other copies yesterday so I tracked the rubbish from your office down to the kitchens and dug the papers out of the fire starter to be used today. I-I know I should have stayed in my room like you said but I could not sleep and—I wanted you not to hate me anymore."

"Legolas, I never hated you. Never. I was angry and disappointed but I never hated you. And I do not say that because you returned these papers to me. I say it because I mean it; from the bottom of my heart."

"Good," Thranduil said. "I am sorry I hit you; I will do better next time. Which cheek did I slap you on?"

As Legolas touched it, Thranduil leaned forward to kiss the abused cheek several times. When Legolas sat back, his eyes were tired but happy.

"You look tired," Thranduil said.

"Two of the papers I found were crumpled," Legolas explained. "I stayed up all night remaking them for you." He yawned. "I hope I found them all and did it right."

Thranduil led Legolas to the door. "Fetch your scroll from Master Eire and stay in your room until I call you. Sleep; you are tired."

The door shut on father and son.

"We should send him some breakfast," Elladan said, looking after Thranduil. "He will not have time to eat with us."

"The meeting is four hours," Harune answered. "There will be plenty of refreshments for all the members of the High Council to indulge in. Come, let us leave Legolas to sleep."

Harune closed the door on the elfling. Landion took his hand. "Ada, we do not have these relationship problems, do we?"

Harune patted his head. "Legolas and Thranduil have been father and son for five years while we have been together only four. It takes time for parents and their children to reach the stage where frightful issues arise, especially when the parents have not raised them since birth."

Landion looked down as if remembering his past life. "I suppose you are right."

"Besides, I have raised several elflings," Harune said. "I have a lot of patience. I doubt I would explode if you spilled ink over anything of mine." He winked.

"I do not think I want to test it," Landion said with a grin.

* * *

Thranduil knocked on Legolas's door. "You may come out now, Legolas.

Legolas bounded to freedom, a smile restored to his eyes.

Thranduil hugged him. "Dinner is in half an hour."

Legolas hesitated. "Ada, I feel—I feel ashamed to be with you after what I did."

"Ion nin, I promise when I look at you, I am not ashamed. You have no need to be ashamed."

"What do you see when you look at me?" Legolas asked.

"I see my son. And no, I do not immediately think of every time you drive me to wit's end. I see the elfling I love and who brings a smile to my face and meaning to my day. Do you know how often I wish I did not have meetings to attend to so I could spend the time with you? I wish it every day."

Legolas flushed. "I feel a bit guilty for asking for more time with you. I know you are with me whenever you can be."

"This all comes with being king," Thranduil said. "And you must experience it so, as the King's son. Now, come, let us eat, and not repeat the mistakes we made today."

* * *

"I wonder what the baby will look like," Ariel said suddenly, her arm under her head.

Erestor turned his head to look at her in the cool night air. He looked back at the stars. "I do not know."

"Nyril had very dark hair," Ariel said. She rolled onto her stomach. "I hope it looks like us in some way."

Erestor pressed her hand. "Even if it does not, we will still love it."

Ariel felt her belly. "I cannot wait for it to be born."

* * *

 **Earthdragon: I agree; Legolas did an awful thing. But I do not think Thranduil would have chosen spanking over anything. Tempers are terrible things. It is a pity Thranduil could not have done what he did in this chapter to start out with. But in his anger, he could not think straight. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave your thoughts; I appreciate it so much.  
**

 **Readers: Thank you for reading! I love hearing your thoughts at the close of each chapter, no matter what you have to say!**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond puts the twins to bed again and receives a complaint. How will he take it?**


	73. I Heard Laughter

"I have a terrible temper," Thranduil growled, pacing the floor. "I blame myself, ada. It is my fault; all of it is my fault. Think of how different it would have been if I had remained calm. I could have listened to Legolas and evoked the consequences without anger. Without hitting. Because I failed, I hurt us both."

"Where is Legolas?" Elladan asked from on his stomach by the chessboard.

"He is still tired from last night," Thranduil answered. He sat down and buried his face in his hands. "I can control my anger, ada, you know I can. I failed yesterday."

"If you need help re-mastering your temper, you have only to ask," Harune advised.

Elrohir sat cross-legged, watching his twin and Landion at their chess match. He rocked back and forth idly but stopped to look up at Elrond.

"You would have spanked us," he said.

Glorfindel bit his lip as he heard Elrond breath out in frustration.

"I spanked you in a calm state of mind, never in anger," Elrond said.

"You hit us _intentionally_ ," Elladan said. "Thranduil hit Legolas in a moment he could not control but would have, if he could. You hit us because you want to."

"Because I have to," Elrond snapped.

"There is always a choice," Glorfindel corrected. "You choose your own path, Elrond."

Elrohir came to climb onto Thranduil's lap. "You made a mistake. But you learned from your mistake and you fixed it. Elrond never tried that. Elladan and I both know as long as you can put aside pride and learn, you will continue to grow into a better person."

Thranduil put his arms around the elfling and squeezed him. Elladan added, "And speaking of learning, Landion, I finally beat you. Checkmate."

Landion inspected the board before he sat up. "Here is your bar of chocolate. I will play you for it back."

Elladan grinned and unwrapped the chocolate to bite a chunk off. "I think I will quit while I am ahead. Have some?"

"I do not approve of gambling," Elrond said.

"It is not gambling," Elladan objected. "It is a tournament and this is the prize."

Harune stretched in his chair. "You have a strong resolve, Thranduil. I know you will befriend your anger again."

Elrohir tugged on Thranduil's sleeve. "How did you un-friend it?"

Thranduil's eyes grew distant. "Ailunai died. I neglected everything and sought to find happiness at the bottom of a bottle. When Legolas came I began to find myself piece by lost piece. But I have not befriended my anger again. Not yet."

Harune rose to his feet. "Now the sun is shining and we are wasting away in here. Come you lot, the river water is warm."

Elrond watched his sons and Landion run from the room. Harune followed and Thranduil departed on an errand. Glorfindel rose. "I think I will join the twins; they could use a good dunking."

Brooding, Elrond made his way to the balcony looking out over the stretch of river outside of the palace. He stood under the shade of a fabric canopy and watched Elladan and Elrohir plunge into the clear water after Landion. Their shrieks and screams seemed not to bother Legolas, sleeping in the room through the window to his far left.

"Tea?" Harune asked, brushing back the curtain hanging over the entrance. He held a silver tray in one hand. Ice clinked gently against the sides of the tall glasses on the tray.

"Yes, hannon le," Elrond answered, leaving the railing to sit at the table with Harune. He picked up a glass of sweet, cold liquid and sipped it in the heat of summer.

"You could join them," Harune said without blinking as he sprawled himself in a wicker chair.

Elrond shook his head and held the cold glass with both hands. He leaned his elbows on the table. "I sent a letter to my wife. I feel as if I should be with her and Arwen!"

Harune tilted his head. "There is nothing to stop you from returning to Rivendell."

"I will not leave my sons here," Elrond said. "Celebrian knows I will return with them or not at all. She mentioned Galadriel and Celeborn grow anxious to see the twins home."

"Oh, we have received several letters of warning from Lothlorien," Harune said with a smile. "Galadriel and Celeborn are indeed most upset we dare "hold the twins here against their will"."

"And what happened to the letters?"

"We tossed them out," Harune answered, drinking a draught of tea. "After the first one came, reading the following ones merely provided a laugh."

"I am not sure I approve of your careless attitude," Elrond said.

"Ah, but you leave your work for Erestor to fight and struggle through," Harune replied. "At least royal blood occupies our office."

"It creates difficulties between Thranduil and Legolas," Elrond remarked.

"Indeed," Harune agreed. "It does create several difficulties but those soon blow over. Life is full of ups and downs."

"This is the first time I have seen Thranduil so angry," Elrond said thoughtfully.

Harune shrugged. "He does have a temper. It took a lot for him in the beginning to learn to be patient with Legolas. Even now, when Legolas steps past the line without meaning to, it explodes. Rarely, of course."

Elrond rose and returned to the railing. "I cannot say I have mastered myself as well."

"Old habits die hard," Harune said, coming to lean on the railing with him. His dark hair fell over his shoulder and fluttered in the breeze. "Do you still wish to spank them?"

The bluntness of the question caught Elrond by surprise. "I . . . do now know. What do you mean? When the twins do wrong I do feel as if I would like to deliver justice but I know if I do, I will fall back down the cliff I have worked so hard to climb."

"We will have to work on that. Once you are back in Rivendell, Thranduil and I will not be here to make the cliff and you will lose nothing by spanking the twins."

"Nothing but their love," Elrond said softly.

"Ah, it depends on how much you value it," Harune replied. "How much do you value the light in their eyes? From your practices since their birth, I cannot say it means much to you at all."

"It means a lot more now it has been tested," Elrond answered.

"Elrond!" Elrohir called, turning his face upward from where he bobbed. "Throw me a cookie!"

"It will be wasted in the water. Come out and eat it," Elrond replied.

Elrohir held up his dripping hands. "I will catch it. Come on! Saes?"

"Galion is bringing you all a tray," Harune called. "Remember to share."

The elf appeared on time, the tray in his hands, and set it on the rock beside Glorfindel as the elf lay in the warm shade. As the three elflings made a run for the tray, Glorfindel held up his hands.

"You have to earn the cookies," he said. "If you complete the challenges I give you, one cookie each."

"One?" Landion said. "Ada would never be so mean!"

Glorfindel ate a cookie. "They really are very good. I dare say I could eat them all."

"We could all rush you," Elladan said.

"After fighting a balrog, I think I could fend you all off," Glorfindel replied, helping himself to another cookie.

The elflings exchanged glances before they shrugged. "What is the first challenge?"

"I suppose Legolas will be all right?" Elrond asked, turning his back on the twins.

Harune nodded and finished his tea. "The twins have not objected to you putting them to sleep."

Elrond looked at him sharply. "No, for which I am grateful. Do you know of something they have yet to tell me?"

"Several complaints have arisen," Harune said. "But I trust the twins will tell you in time. If I disclose the information, it will not give them a chance to grow. Bring the tray with you when you leave."

Elrond stared after Harune as the elf left the balcony, his step light. The cloth of the curtain swished behind him. Elladan yelling caught his attention and he peered down to contemplate his wrestling son, wondering what the elfling kept from him.

The day came to a close, seeing Thranduil and Legolas comfortable in the King's chambers with cold milk, cookies, and Legolas's storybook. The dinner table emptied as Harune and Galion cleared away the dishes. Elrond bid Glorfindel goodnight in the hallway and went to tuck the twins into bed.

He finished tucking down the blankets and leaned down to kiss the elflings goodnight. He sat down on the edge of the bed instead of leaving, and his sons both looked at him.

"Do you want something?" Elladan ventured to ask, squirming.

"I thought there might be something you wished to share with me," Elrond answered.

"There is," Elrohir said in a rush. "The way you tuck us in is awful!"

"I beg your pardon? I have tucked you in in this manner for as long as I can remember and you have never complained."

"We had no right to complain; we had to take what you gave us whether we wanted to or not," Elrohir said.

"What would you have me do differently?" Elrond asked after a moment's thought. "What can I do to make it so you like to have me tuck you in?"

Elrohir looked at the blankets tucked tight around him. "When you tuck us in, you imprison us literally in the sheets. We have to lie still or mess it up, which you seem to not like. Tucking us in does not mean you have to use the same method you use to make a bed and tuck the sheets down. We would like it if you snuggled the blankets around us so we could be comfortable rather then neat."

Elrond stood up. "All right, let me try again."

The twins looked at one another before they nodded to Elrond. The elf lord pulled back the blankets and shook some air into them. As Elladan and Elrohir lay back against their pillows, tucking the fluffy white under their arms, Elrond let the blankets fall. He resisted the urge to tuck it straight and neat down the length of the bed and instead let it fold and crumple as he pulled the coverings over his sons. "Better?"

"Yes, hannon le," Elrohir said with a sigh. He hesitated. "You—you may kiss me goodnight if you would like to."

Elrond made no move to throw away the invitation and leaned down to plant his lips on Elrohir's rosy cheek. Elladan rolled over to look at him and said, "Me to."

Feeling as though another step stood below him, Elrond left the room with exuberance. It would take time . . . and more patience then he thought he had but perhaps he could convince the twins to come home with him. Perhaps he could show them he still loved them in a way they could feel this time.

Elrond stopped outside the door to Legolas's chamber and gave vent to a little sigh as he looked in and saw Legolas writhing under his father's dancing fingers, screaming with laughter. Nothing he could do would ever measure up to Thranduil's love for his son. Thranduil had avoided the mistake he had. But Thranduil had Harune.

"It is not a question of what you do not have," Harune said from behind him. "It is a question of who you are and what you choose to be. If Thranduil had grown under Oropher's hand without me to help him limp his way through it, he may have still chosen not to spank Legolas. On the other hand, he might have kept Legolas as a baby and, in doing so, kept Legolas from being abused. The possibilities are endless."

He smiled and released Landion's hand as the elfling darted to hurl himself on Thranduil, begging, "Tickle me to!"

Elrond gazed at Landion, thinking Elladan and Elrohir had never asked him to tickle them. He had tickled them, and they had laughed together, but when it was over, it was done.

"Goodnight," Harune said, his hand brushing Elrond's shoulder. "Ion, send Landion to me when you are done leeching the last of his energy from him."

"Mff," Thranduil answered from under both son and brother.

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Locks. I have read about parents who keep their refrigerators and cabinets locked. I do not think Thranduil would do that but keeping a lock on his jewelry box might be well worth it. I can just imagine Legolas playing with one while eating cookies and reading a book . . . Legolas did redeem himself finding the papers and peace is being restored. Thank you so much for reading; I love hearing from you.**

 **Readers: Thanks for reading! Reading your comments and thoughts at the close of every chapter means so much to me!**

 **How has Elrond done with the twins this time? I think he did a good job tucking the twins into bed.  
**

 **Next Chapter: Elladan and Elrohir go missing.**


	74. I Failed My Task

Elrond hesitated outside the door to the living room, certain he would find Thranduil within. He turned to go twice, half of him wanting to remain silent as much as the other half begged to be spoken.

The door opened and Thranduil stood, inviting him in. Elrond looked around quickly to make sure he and the elf king were alone before he joined Thranduil on the sofa.

"Legolas and Landion are with Harune," Thranduil said. "And the twins should be back from the forest any minute. What have you to say?"

"I have come to a realization after what happened between you and Legolas," Elrond said. "I gave anger and discipline a great deal of thought last night. I thought at first I could help you learn to control your anger. I am practiced at disciplining with the greatest of calm while you seemed to have trouble retaining calm and punishing Legolas after he destroyed your documents."

"There is a difference between punishment and discipline," Thranduil said softly.

"I came to offer you my help in learning to discipline in a calm state of mind, no matter how angry the situation before you makes you feel," Elrond said.

"I sense a but," Thranduil said.

Elrond clasped his hands in his lap, his eyes darting around the room as he searched for the words. "But as I gave it more and more thought, I realized every time I spanked the twins, I was angry. I was able to keep calm or regain calm when I saw a need to punish them because the act of spanking them created an unconscious vent for me to release my anger. Without my realizing it, my mind and body held in my frustration and annoyance and let it all out before I felt it or became aware of it through a channel created by spanking Elladan and Elrohir. I spanked my emotions out on them without knowing it. Not even once. Until now."

Elrond unclasped his hands. "I cannot help you as much as I thought, Thranduil, because my calm mind in discipline turned out to be another lie; another unconsciously suppressed emotion. But I will help you if I can."

Thranduil met Elrond's eyes. "Hannon le, Elrond. I am happy you shared this with me and I will not hesitate to ask for your help if I need it. Your thoughts will help you go further toward being a father the twins can love."

Elrond shrugged. "You have shared a lot with me."

"I think you should talk about your new feelings with Elladan and Elrohir," Thranduil said. "Sharing is a big part of being a father to a child. I am comfortable having no hidden thoughts from Legolas unless I am planning his birthday surprise." His eyes twinkled.

"I think this might be a little much for Elladan and Elrohir right now," Elrond said. "I will not say anything yet; I am not done thinking over my discovery."

Thranduil nodded in understanding. "I will say nothing to them."

Elrond shifted, thinking, _I may need your help more then ever, Thranduil. Without its usual channel, where will my feelings go_?

Thranduil rose from his seat as Harune entered the room, his eyes worried.

"Elladan and Elrohir are not back," Harune said. He gestured to the window. "And the sun set a while ago."

* * *

Elladan and Elrohir trotted anxiously along the path, looking up at the night sky as dusk fell. Both elflings knew darkness would fall long before they reached the palace. Their hearts sank further with each step as they kept hoping they would reach the palace but dreading the fact they could not.

The air grew cool and the quiet swish of the trees marked night had come to Mirkwood, and the twins drew to a dispirited halt.

"I cannot see well in the dark," Elladan said, his hands hanging limp at his side. "And I do not think we can find our way home without the use of our eyes."

"Let us find a safe place and sleep until dawn," Elrohir advised. He moved a little closer to his twin, brushing his shoulder against Elladan. His hand slipped in his brother's.

"Thranduil will be worried sick," Elladan said mournfully. "He is back from the Stag Hunt with Glorfindel and Legolas. We were to join him and everyone else for dinner under the stars around the fire."

"It cannot be helped," Elrohir murmured. "We wandered too far in our games. We should have stayed nearer the palace."

"It cannot be helped," Elladan said finally. He gripped Elrohir's hand. "Come, let us a find a tree branch or a cave to sleep in. I know there are wolves out, and I do not wish to be attacked in the night."

Elrohir gave a small shiver. He and Elladan stumbled over the dim shapes of branches and hills, their clothes tearing on brambles as they wandered blindly in the dark. The thick leaves above them blocked out the stars, and the moon was a small sliver, giving off little light.

Elladan stopped. "It is no good stumbling blind. We may end up lost come morning. Let us stay here for the night and go no further."

Elrohir lowered himself to the cool, dewy grass beneath him and sat. He drew his knees up to his chest and hugged them to him. "I-I am scared."

Elladan scooted back against a tree trunk and replied as Elrohir joined him, "We will be all right. We survived to flee over the Mountains and come here. A night in the forest will not kill us."

Elrohir leaned against him and shivered as a long, low howl rose and curled in the air. His eyes grew unseeing and dark as he drifted to sleep, the bark of the tree behind him digging into his back and giving him an uncomfortable night's rest.

* * *

Elrond paced in the living room, his hands behind his back, staring down at the floor. Legolas and Landion regarded him with interest as Thranduil spoke to Hyrondal at the door.

"The scouts are searching for the twins," Thranduil said, coming to put Elrond's mind at ease. "I am sure Elladan and Elrohir will be found."

"I will not know peace until I see them with my own eyes," Elrond answered. "This forest is full of dangers tripled tenfold by the fall of night. Pits and swamps and the ghastly Forbidden Grove are all out there, not to mention wild beasts!"

Thranduil held up his hands. "I agree, but Mirkwood is also inhabited by a wide spread of elves who will see to the safety of your sons if they should come across them. I too am worried."

Harune stepped into the room with dark material over his arm and two lanterns in hand. He handed the cloaks to Elrond and Thranduil. "Go search for Elladan and Elrohir. We will enjoy a night under the stars with the meat you brought back another time. Hearts are not laid to rest by idle pacing. I will light the lanterns for you."

Thranduil swung the light cloak around his shoulders. "Hannon le, Harune. Legolas, Landion, you should run up to your beds. It is past your bedtime."

Legolas slid off the couch to come and hug Thranduil around the waist. After giving and receiving his bedtime kiss, he skipped out of the room. Landion followed.

"I hope Elladan and Elrohir are all right," Elrond fretted as he picked up the lighted lantern and pinned his cloak.

"I am sure the elflings are fine," Thranduil soothed. He picked up his lantern and the two elves strode from the palace into the woods, alive with chirping crickets. Used to the elves moving in the forest, the crickets kept singing, undaunted by the movements around them. Thranduil and Elrond's voices rang through the trees as they called Elladan and Elrohir's names.

"We will cover more ground quickly if we split up," Thranduil said, and he disappeared into the trees. His voice sounded loud at first in worry but dimmed, as he and Elrond grew separated by distance.

Shaking his head to clear away images of the twins beset by wolves or lying helpless at the floor of a ravine, Elrond hurried on, scolding both elflings in his mind for putting him through this ordeal; for ruining the night he had looked forward to under the stars. He stopped and turned in a circle, frowning as the golden light played over the trunks and trees. He concentrated on his connection to his sons, feeling with his heart for their presence. He let his feet guide him, shouting their names.

Elrond stumbled out into open ground from the restraining brambles around his legs and the lantern light danced over the twisted trunk of a wide, thick trunk, its roots diving into the earth. He turned away with a sigh, but a splash of dark hair glowing in the light caught his eye and he spun around.

Relief crashed over him like a waterfall and he sprinted up the slight hill, climbing over the thick roots netting the ground. Huddled in the hollow of the tree against the ground, between roots and trunk, were his sons!

"Elladan!" he cried. "Elrohir!"

Both elflings awoke with a start, rubbing their bleary eyes and peered up at him. Elladan and his brother scrambled from their hollow, robes torn and dirty, as Elrond exclaimed, "Valar sakes, I have been worried sick! Why did you not return before dark?"

"We tried to," Elrohir admitted. "But we wandered too far from the palace and when we turned to come back, there was not enough daylight left."

"You could have been injured! Or attacked by wolves. You could have fallen into a pit. Valar, I might never have seen you again," Elrond scolded.

"We are sorry," Elladan said. "We will be more aware next time."

"I know you will," Elrond said, relief washing over him that the twins were safe. "I love you both and the last thing I want to see is you hurt because of a small mistake. Mistakes become dangerous as they grow. I know you will return home before dark next time for I will give you incentive to remember next time. This will not happen again."

As Elrond reached for a branch above him and snapped the supple switch off, Thranduil emerged behind him, snapping, "Put that down. Now!"

While Elladan and Elrohir had displayed certain relief at being found, they ran to hurl themselves into Thranduil's arms and express their deeper emotions.

Thranduil glared at Elrond as he dropped the switch and hugged the twins to him. "Come, everything is all right now. Let us return home so you can eat. You must be hungry."

"We are," Elrohir murmured. "It is a long time since lunch. We-we are sorry we cannot spend the night under the stars in celebration of Tarnin Austa."

"You need not trouble yourself about that," Thranduil said. "Mistakes are made."

Thranduil led the way back to the palace with the elflings and Elrond behind him. After running a hot bath for the twins, he left them clean in their nightshirts, eating dinner in bed, and stepped down to the living room to discard his cloak over the back of a chair. He stopped Elrond from leaving the room.

"Are you going to punish them?" Elrond asked, tilting his head back.

"No," Thranduil answered. "That I will leave to you." He held up a hand. "But it will not be done with a stick. Do I make myself clear?"

* * *

Erestor shot to his feet as Ariel shot into the room, squealing. She grabbed his hand and pressed it to her stomach. "I felt it kick! Feel, feel!"

Relieved his wife was not hurt, Erestor put one arm around her shoulder and pressed his hand to her belly. A moment later he felt a small force against his hand and found himself smiling with Ariel. She grabbed him. "Come sit and feel with me; never mind the work!"

* * *

 **Earthdragon: What I meant to say is that in today's world parents lock their cabinets and refrigerators as well as jewelry boxes and office doors. The thought of locks made me think of what parents now lock. I know Thranduil could not lock a refrigerator if he wanted to!** ** **I am sorry I confused you; I could have made myself clearer. Thank you for reading.  
****

 ** **Readers: Thank you all for reading. I love hearing your thoughts on the close of each chapter.****

 ** **A special thank you to YugiYasha96 for inspiring me to write the beginning scene between Thranduil and Elrond. Her thoughts made me think more about anger and discipline. Thank you.****

 ** **What will Elrond do? Will he violate the law of no spanking?****

 ** **Next Chapter: Elrond 'punishes' the twins.****


	75. I Tried To Make It Better

"After all you have learned," Thranduil continued, "After all you have thought. After all you have seen, can it be you still wish to spank them? Elladan and Elrohir meant no harm, Elrond, and made an honest mistake. I know we both wish not to see the mistake repeated again to a harmful end, but spanking them will solve nothing."

"What would you have me do?"

"You were worried," Thranduil said. "You feared your sons might be hurt without you. Putting them through pain because of the way you felt is not right. I suggest explaining to Elladan and Elrohir how you felt will be more effective. Elladan and Elrohir are more likely to remember the lesson if they know you care will be sitting back home worried sick then they are if you mark it with pain they will seek to forget as soon as possible."

"Elladan and Elrohir are in their bedroom?" Elrond asked.

Thranduil nodded and watched as the elf lord strode from the room. He sighed, remembering the moments he had stood silent in the trees, the lantern hidden under his cloak, watching as Elrond found his sons. He had hoped Elrond would choose not to whip them himself but it appeared his views were still the same.

Meanwhile, above him, Elrond knocked on the door to his sons' room and stepped inside. The twins looked up at him, their eyes instantly wary, their laughter dying.

"Elladan," Elrond began. "Elrohir, I am sorry for almost whipping you. I realize it would have served no purpose but a punishment you would not have learned."

Elladan looked at his twin and his twin looked back at him. Both elflings looked to Elrond. "You are right; we would have learned no lesson save the fact even your worry is not enough to stop you from hitting us."

Elrond bit his lip. "I was worried about both of you, Elladan. I . . . feared you may be hurt or bleeding somewhere, alone without help." His brow furrowed. "I was _panicked_."

"I . . . am . . . I guess it is good you were worried," Elrohir said doubtfully. "But the moment you found us, you forgot how you felt. You were about to fall on us."

"I do not like fearing for the lives of the sons I love, but I realize hurting you is not the answer."

"Really? You are saying it because Thranduil sent you up here; we know you are. Without him to remind you, you would not care. If Thranduil had not come out by the tree, the three of us know you would have switched us." Elladan stared defiantly into Elrond's eyes.

"It is hard to release old habits to the wind," Elrond answered. "I fell back to what I have always done when you deserve to be punished. It was a mistake for which I am sorry. I want you to know I was worried about you. But that not excuse the fact you endangered yourself with careless behavior. You will not go outside tomorrow at all and you will spend two hours in the library writing a paper for me on the subject of wild beasts. Please try to come home before dark next time."

"We will," Elladan said. He plumped up his pillow and let his head fall into the center of it. "Goodnight, Elrond."

Elrond picked up the dinner trays and leaned down to kiss both twins goodnight. He left the bedroom as the candle flickered behind him and died, feeling as if he had failed to make his point to the twins. He felt as if he had failed to show them he would stop spanking them.

Thranduil was not in the living room. Elrond took the trays down to the kitchens and climbed back the way he had come. He lingered in the hallway outside his door, hearing Harune's low voice coming out of Landion's room. He knew the voice; it was Harune's story voice. He could picture Landion snuggled against his father's side. With a small sigh, he rested his hand on the doorknob to his room.

Legolas's laughter met his ears, followed by Thranduil's scolding but playful "Shh!" from the king's chambers. Legolas's rose and died into a soft whisper of "Sorry, ada."

Elrond changed into his nightclothes and returned to the hallway. After chewing his lip for perhaps two full minutes, he stepped into the twins' room. The elflings looked up at his entrance and squinted in the dark. "Elrond? What have you left here?"

"Nothing," Elrond said, coming to sit on the edge of the bed. "Nothing but you. I . . . may I sleep with you tonight?"

As the twins fell into silence, Elrond returned to chewing his lip as he waited for a reply, hoping he would not receive a rejection. After thinking of Landion snuggled with Harune and Legolas probably convulsed with laughter as Thranduil tickled him, Elrond had felt a twinge of loneliness as he thought of sleeping alone, without his sons beside him.

"You have slept with us on rare occasions before," Elladan said, breaking into his thoughts. "It is not as if you cuddled us in bed as babies. Why now?"

Elrond twisted his hands in his lap. "Why, Elladan, I-I wanted to make up for all the time I _missed_ cuddling you as babies. I want to hold you and sleep. I love you and . . . my bed seems cold and empty now. I will respect your word, though."

That alone was a gesture Elladan and Elrohir knew Elrond meant by the tone of his voice. The twins separated to opposite sides of the bed, and Elladan said, "All right, you may sleep with us tonight. But . . . if we do not like it, you will have to leave."

"Of course," Elrond said, climbing over Elladan to settle in the exact middle of the bed. He pushed a pillow under his head and pulled up the blankets as Elladan and Elrohir made themselves comfortable in their positions. Elrond reached to touch Elrohir but the elfling said, "Elrond, we do not object to you being here, but we would like to take this one step at a time. We do not want to be cuddled, hannon le."

Elrond jerked his hand back as if he had been stung. "Oh. Of-of course."

Elrohir rolled onto his stomach and yawned, undisturbed by the tone of Elrond's voice. A moment later his eyes glazed over and his deep breaths matched Elladan's. Elrond knew he could slide over and hug Elrohir to him but he did not want to violate Elrohir's privacy; if he did, he would never sleep with his sons again. With a deep sigh, he turned over and tucked an arm under his head.

Elrond lay awake long into the night.

* * *

Elrohir blinked as the ceiling came into focus. He reached down to pull a sheet off his legs and folded his arm under his head as he rolled over. He stared at Elrond's face for a short while, remembering he had agreed to let the lord of Rivendell sleep with him, and turned back around as Elladan stirred.

"G'Morning," Elladan yawned, stretching out under the blankets. He sat up and peered at the glass surface of the clock on his dresser.

"What time is it?" Elrohir asked, pushing back the blankets. He scrambled over Elladan and slid down to the floor.

"You seem to know exactly what time it is," Elladan said with a wink. He chuckled. "Time to get up!"

Elrohir snatched the towel Harune had left him on the chair by the door and danced out of the room to take a cool bathe. Elladan flung open the curtains and shut them as a blast of heat entered the still cool night air lingering in the chamber.

Elrond rolled over in bed and blinked to clear his eyes. Elladan looked at him as he slid from the bed. "Elrohir will be back soon. Will you help me make the bed?"

"Please," Elrond said unconsciously.

"Please," Elladan simpered. "Will you help me make the bed, _please_?"

"I am not looking to start my day with cheek out of you," Elrond warned. "No, I will not help you make the bed. Elrohir will help you when he comes back."

"I asked you politely enough! I have said please long enough, and been whipped plenty when I have not said it. I do not want to say please and I do not care if you do help me make the bed or not," Elladan said angrily.

Elrond sat down on the tangled blankets and faced the defiant elfling. Elladan trust his chin forward and stepped back. "Go away."

"I do not like your behavior, Elladan, but I am not going to spank you. I need to teach myself not to."

Elladan tilted his head to one side. "Good luck. I hope you climb more then one step. I would like to be able to love you, Elrond, but it is still hard right now considering the past."

"I understand that, Elladan, and I want to fix it so we can love one another as a father and son should. Disrespecting one another will not help us climb the stairs, will it?"

"No, it will not," Elladan said. "It will make us fall. You disrespected Elrohir and I for years, Elrond. My omission to say 'please' is not disrespect. Spanking us is."

Elrond let out a breath, remembering why he preferred children to be seen and not heard.

"I apologize for snapping at you," Elladan said. "But not for not saying please." He picked up his towel as Elrohir came into the room and left.

"Good morning, Elrond," Elrohir said, flicking his wet hair over his shoulders. "Will you help me make the bed?"

"Can it be you have forgotten your manners?" Elrond said.

"I will take that as a no," Elrohir answered cheerfully, and went to pick up a fallen sheet from the floor.

Elrond gave Elrohir a hand with the bed and left to change for breakfast. He waited for his sons in the hallway and the trio trooped down to breakfast. Elladan giggled and teased his brother, seeming to have forgotten the events of the bedroom. Elrond wondered if either of his sons would say please at the breakfast table. Though, come to think of it, he could not recall them _not_ doing so.

* * *

Celebrian came into the living room fresh from the office and found Arwen napping. Galadriel sat near the open window, a leather covered journal open across her legs. She gestured to the drawings Elladan and Elrohir had made of Elrond spanking them.

"Do you see what your children delight in?"

"Oh, I do not think they delight in drawing those," Celebrian said tightly.

"This ought to be burned."

Celebrian frowned and took the book. "I do not see why. Elladan and Elrohir drew to express their feelings. If you cannot understand that, I am disappointed. I hoped you would be able to accept I do not approve of how you taught me to discipline and I will not stand it being used on my children."

* * *

 **Thank you all for reading; sharing this story with you is an amazing journey and I love reading your thoughts at the close of each chapter.  
**

 **How did Elrond do?**

 **Next Chapter: Tarnin Austa is celebrated. Finally!**


	76. I Celebrated

"Ada?" Legolas said.

Thranduil turned to look at him. "Yes, little leaf?"

"Is it true you give a speech on the third night of Tarnin Austa?"

Thranduil nodded.

"And is it true you gave a speech as the Prince when Oropher ruled after he delivered his when you were my age?"

Thranduil nodded again. Legolas drew in a deep breath. "Then I would like to give a speech tonight to."

Thranduil put down his teacup and knelt beside Legolas. "I am not asking you or ordering you to address the whole of Mirkwood, ion nin. Because I did it does not mean you are under any obligation to do so as well. We lived vastly different childhoods and—"

"Forgive me for interrupting," Legolas said. "But I want to do this because I-I feel it is my duty."

"It is not your duty, Legolas, and I do not want to see you suffer."

Legolas squirmed. "I feel as if I am a terrible Prince to Mirkwood and that I am . . . weak. I know you will say I should not do this for I have nothing to prove but please may I have your blessing to do it?"

Thranduil picked a strand of hair off Legolas's cheek and looked him in the eyes. "You may. But understand why you want this before you do so."

"I will. May I go now and write my speech?"

Thranduil gave a nod and watched his son run out of the room. He picked up his teacup and walked to the window of the living room to look out. Dusk was swiftly coming.

An hour later Thranduil, Legolas, Elrond, the twins, Glorfindel, Harune, and Landion trod a lantern-lit path into the forest. Glowing paper lanterns hung from the trees, lighting up the forest. As Thranduil neared the open fields in Mirkwood, the sound of laughter and meat crackling over a blazing fire could be heard over night crickets chirping from the ditches.

Two twisted oak trees holding up the sky framed a doorway between them, the path twisting to end at the grass of the glade. The field was packed with elves glowing in the light of the dozen fires. Cool starlight offset the red flames.

The laughter and roar of hundreds of people talking died down at Thranduil's entrance. Legolas almost jumped as a blast of trumpets sounded. Thranduil gestured for Legolas to follow him to the head of the field, where a platform had been erected of boards and lit with dozens of candles pudding wax around the edges of the wood.

"Do not burn your robe," Thranduil said out of the corner of his mouth as he ascended the stairs to the platform, careful of the candles level with his sweeping mantle.

"People of Mirkwood," Thranduil said. "We are gathered here yet again on another warm summer night to thank the forest for harboring us. Our ancestors gave their lives; watered this soil with blood, to ensure their descendants would have a home. We have fought in wars and mourned the dead. We have dug graves for our loved ones and planted flowers with tears. I know what it is to know loss. You were all here when Ailunai died. You all saw the sun die for me and you saw it rise again years later when I found my son.

"We are not a monarchy. I am not merely a king to you and none of you are simple servants and commoners in my eyes. We are all living beings. And here in this realm, we are all family, if not in blood then in spirit. When there is room for kindness and an open heart, there is room for all.

"In this kingdom all of you are essential. If you had not been there to save a child you do not know or help a woman you have never met, this kingdom would be a lot smaller and tied in knots of hate rather then freed from feelings of tenderness.

"For this I thank all of you, and I am honored to be your guiding light in the darkness. But I would not burn without all of you to light me."

Thranduil took a bow to the deafening burst of applause. As it died down minutes later, Thranduil said, "And now a few words from Prince Legolas."

Legolas felt dozens of curious eyes fall on him as he took Thranduil's place. His father put a hand on his shoulder as he stepped down to the grass and joined Glorfindel. The balrog slayer folded his arms.

"Do you think he can do it?"

"I think the effort alone is commendable," Thranduil replied.

"I know what it is like to be truly alone," Legolas said. "People gathered where I lived before . . . with humans . . . but it was the rich who enjoyed the warmth of the castle while the poor starved outside in the cold. No one _cared_ where I lived before. And those who did care cared in fear.

"I had never had a home before I came here. I was afraid at first of what it would be like to be _loved_ ; I was afraid of what having a real family would be like. I was a broken acorn still half closed and it was not easy to heal and open in a healthy way. But I could not have done it without all of you. Like ada—King Thranduil said, we are all family here.

"I would not have healed or finally emerged bruised from the palace if I had not felt safe here. I remember every person who helped me find my way home and who let me stay with them until it stopped raining. Even though I have not met all of you, we are not strangers.

"You make this home to me. I do not have see hungry children because nowhere here are there orphans crawling through the mud. I do not have to think about old memories of horror because the sunshine you make in the forest keeps them away.

"I have seen ada—King Thranduil struggle with paperwork and it sometimes comes between me and him. But I know he does not ever struggle alone because you are all here to help me. You see what the people where I lived before never saw: That a king is a king but is also an elf who has a family and needs time to be _with_ his family. My father treats his nation with dignity and kindness because he also treats his family the same way. And I had never seen anything like that before until I came here.

"Thank you for giving me a home. And thank you, ada, for loving me even when I do drive you mad."

Thranduil hastily wiped a tear from the corner of his eyes as Legolas bounded to hug him. A crash of applause broke out around him as he whispered down Legolas's ear, "I am very proud of you."

Legolas looked at him critically. "Because I said something you liked?"

"I am proud because you spoke from your heart," Thranduil said. "Now come, the music is starting and it is time to eat!"

Legolas squeezed his way into a horde of elflings sitting on a log near the fire with his plate of shredded meat and sat to eat, the smell of smoking deer wafting in the air. The sweet hum of musical instruments sounded as the bards took their places on the dais.

Legolas chewed at his food and twisted to watch as the elves around him split into three groups: people who were content to drink wine and talk, women ready to dance, and men ready to move.

The bards struck the first chords of their tune and the stomp of feet against the ground mingled with the tinkle of jewelry and the whirling of skirts. Legolas spied his father and Glorfindel amidst a pool of women and listened as the tune of the singing elves rose into the night.

"Lift your arms up to the sky

Singing oh I am free

My heart is soaring on the breeze

Swirling through the leaves

My heart is on fire as I search for you

Midsummer's celebration is winked upon

Star by star.

A dozen joyous voices

Screaming into the night

Home is where the heart is.

Lift your arms up to the sky

Singing oh I am free

I will join in the royal stampede

Share in the laughter

Fire drives the cold away

Crickets are in the branches

Sun will rise on sleeping glade

We danced until sunrise

Drowsy elflings stumbled away

Home is where the heart is.

Lift your arms up to the sky

Singing oh I am free

Turn to face the dawn

Bow down to the night

The forest is here always

Home is where the heart is."

Legolas looked up as Thranduil broke out of the crowd to grab his hand.

"Finished eating?" he asked.

"Yes, but—"

"Come and dance with me. Just for a little while."

From the edge of the crowd with a goblet of white wine in his hands, Elrond caught glimpses of father and son swinging among the crowd of moving elves. He saw Glorfindel pass dozens of times, each time with a different woman as the bards played reels and tangos. He put down his cup and went to find his sons.

"Celebrian is not here to enjoy the night with me," Elrond said, as the jaunty music died down to a softer tone and wives swayed in the embrace of their husbands, "But I would love to dance with you."

Elladan and Elrohir sat down on the damp grass as Harune grinned behind them. "We must catch our breaths first, Elrond. We have been with Harune and a dozen other children since the party started."

Elrond took another glass of wine as an elf handed it to him and leaned back against a tree. "I will wait."

He lifted his cup to his lips and thought of Celebrian. A tear sprang into his eyes as he blew a kiss to the wind, hoping it would reach her. He missed her and wondered how his daughter fared a journey away in Rivendell. He felt a brief flash of anger, almost blaming the twins for separating their family and causing this . . . rift.

Jerked from his thoughts by a crash of cymbals and Thranduil's arm on his wrist, Elrond looked up.

"Come join the men," Thranduil invited. "We have come to the center of our night."

Elrond shook his head, unable to think of dancing without Celebrian to enjoy it with him. Thranduil shrugged and swept away to join the men. The elves in the field had split into two halves with every woman facing the men. The flirty notes from the bards' drums and rattles began the dance.

Dozens of bright color and gold flashed in the firelight as the woman teased and taunted, out of reach of their advancing counterparts. Thranduil began the first song, joined by those behind him as the elves danced in circles.

"Oh, child of trees

Come and walk with me

The world is waiting to see you smile.

Nothing could be more joyous to me

Then your feet whirling by beside mine.

The sun gave its blessings

The moon danced with you

The stars came out to shine.

Oh, child of trees

Come and walk with me

The world is waiting to see you smile.

The leaves of the forest

Reflect in your eyes

Raindrops pass you by.

Dew crowns your hair

Silver your robes

Your steps are light beside mine.

Oh, child of trees

Come and walk with me

The world is waiting to see you smile."

The woman returned with their own song, their eyes shining in the night as they shook their skirts and bangles. They tossed their heads and turned their shoulders, lips smiling.

"Oh, son of fire

Come and dance with me

The world is waiting to see you flame.

The heat of your soul washes across me

The sun never stopped to set.

Oh, son of fire

Come and dance with me

The world is waiting to see you flame.

Long into the night you burn before me

Fueled by energy like mine

The trees know your tune

As do I

All here raise their voices to the night

Joy flows in rivers

Feet pound on the ground.

Oh, son of fire

Come and dance with me

The world is waiting to see you flame!"

Elrond refrained from dancing. He would dance only with his wife, miles away . . . Elladan and Elrohir sat with him, watching and playing with the elflings brought by their parents to enjoy the night. He thought of Celebrian and renewed his promise to love the twins so he could go home to her.

Little did he know how much more he would have to put into his vow.

Later into the night, Legolas and Landion sat on the laps of their parents, drowsy and tired, as Thranduil and Harune recounted tales of their pasts to an admiring and partly drunk audience still full of giggles and humor. As the music started again, Thranduil put him down and left to join the fun.

Legolas yawned and rested his head on the tree trunk behind him. He fell asleep in front of the fire with Glorfindel's cloak over him and the twins, the fire warming his face. The faint sound of music and laughter tickled his dreams until it was gone and Legolas shifted, vaguely aware someone had carried him home to his bed.

* * *

The next day at noon Elrond went to find his sons, his mind still full of memories of the night before.

"Come for a walk with me?" Elrond asked.

The twins finished their hot milk and cookies and looked at him as if trying to judge if tree branches would be turned into switches when they were alone in the forest. Elladan looked at his twin before he nodded.

"We have some time before dinner," he said.

Elrond held out his hands with a smile in his eyes, thinking another step had been taken in the right direction and he was closer to showing his sons he loved them. The trio left the palace and delved into the trees. No one spoke but Elladan and Elrohir's eyes roamed ahead into the leaves and branches.

Elladan hopped murky streams with ease, followed by his twin, and stopped when the smell of a swamp became evident. Elrohir wrinkled his nose as he stared at the trees growing around and in the swamp, their trunks slimy with slugs and swamp decay. The leaves of the trees were threaded with black.

"Now we know why no one comes here," he said. "Let us return to the river and take a dip."

Fleas and bugs swarmed in the humid, sticky air trapped under the trees near the swamp. Elladan and Elrohir waved their hands to clear the swarming bugs away, scratching several itchy bites as they retreated back to where Elrond stood on the other side of the stream.

"Not every glade in Mirkwood is a sunny grove," Elladan said, his face splitting into a smile as he quoted a line from an earlier lesson.

"It was called Greenwood the Great when the line was written," Elrohir corrected. "But the essence of it is right."

A low hiss sounded and Elrond whipped around, his boots sinking into the mud of the stream. The branches parted and an orc stepped into the gloomy light, the broken blade in his hand rusted from blood.

"It may not be sunny," he spat, "But, for you, darkness falls. I see the sun rising. My friends and I . . . we are hungry. Young, tender meat we thirst for."

Elrond pushed the twins behind him, his heart in his throat as he drew his sword. He could take one orc but the orc's dozen friends were emerging behind him, breaking off low dead, branches to clear a way for themselves.

"El-Elrond," Elladan quavered as the orcs spread out to ring the three elves.

"Stay where you are," Elrond barked. "And do not move unless I tell you to!"

Elladan clenched his hands at his sides. For a brief moment, he thought about screaming for one of the patrols marching through the wood but dropped the idea as he remembered the patrols would be out of earshot. The swamps were abandoned. And infested with orcs.

"I cannot stand here and do nothing!" Elrohir hissed down his ear. He jumped back as an orc leapt in to stab at Elrond. Elrond worked his way backward through the slippery mud of the stream, the clang of his sword against his opponent's ringing through the trees.

Elladan glanced behind him as the ring closed in on Elrond, tightening around him. A splash sounded as one fell face-first into the muddy stream, blood swirling to mix with the water. Flies gathered on the corpse, buzzing over the sticky black blood.

Elrond whirled around, dragging the twins behind him, to face the orcs approaching from his front. Elladan scrambled to pick the dead orc's sword out of the mud. The weapon was heavy and clumsy, the blade jagged but sharp. Not the perfect weapon but it nothing or that.

"Drop it, Elladan," Elrond snapped. "You will be killed if you attempt to use it."

Elrohir caught up a handful of mud from the stream. He drew his arm back, the days in the archery fields practicing his aim looking like they would pay off.

"Elladan! Elrohir!" Elrond cried in horror. He could not watch his sons die and they surely would if they refused to stay where he could protect them.

"There are too many orcs for you to fight alone, Elrond," Elladan said, voicing the blunt truth. "If we do not help, we will all be killed."

Elrohir flung the mud. The orc is hit dropped his blade and scraped at his eyes to clear away the plaster of dirt. His distraction gave Elladan the opportunity to leap forward, springing off a rock, and plant his sword in the orc's chest. Orc hide was thicker then he suspected and he grunted as he drove the blade home.

The orc fell to his back with a choke. Elladan ducked a another orc cut past his head and rolled out of danger. Two more bodies lay at Elrond's feet.

"Run!" Elrond shouted back to the twins. "You have the chance; take it! I will hold them off."

* * *

 **My mother's birthday is coming up so my next update might come a day late, depending on how my day goes. You can expect the next chapter either on the 21st or the 22nd. In case it is late in coming, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, the longest I have written at 3,259 words!  
**

 **Thank you for reading; I appreciate the time you take to read My Word and enjoy it. As always, I love reading your thoughts at the close of each chapter!**

 **A special thank you to GreyLynx, who pointed out by original transition from Tarnin Austa to the Orc Attack was a little awkward. GreyLynx's feedback encouraged me to make the transition a little smoother. Thank you!**

 **Forgive me for the cliffhanger . . .**

 **Next Chapter: Who will save the twins?**


	77. I Saw Myself

The twins glanced back at their father, not wanting to obey. Elladan and Elrohir broke into a sprint, heading for the trees. Two orcs turned to follow them, crashing through the underbrush as they followed the scent of the elflings.

The twins ran as if their lives depended on it, away from the swamp, in the direction of the last seen patrol. They had to find help and take it back to Elrond. Elladan's breath came in short gasps and chokes, hammering at his ribs. Elrohir felt as if his insides wanted to explode out of his mouth.

Elladan tripped over a root poking out of the ground and sprawled to the mud. As he scrambled to his feet, hearing the orcs coming closer behind him, a cold hand closed over his ankle and jerked him back, lifting him from the ground.

Elladan screamed as the rotten breath of the orc washed over him, its gnarled teeth and beady eyes coming into view as it raised him to stare into his face with a hiss. The monster pulled his sword out of its sheath.

Elladan twisted, fighting for control, but the struggle was useless. He heard Elrohir let out a cry of horror. A moment later the orc dropped his sword with a yell as a rock smashed into his wrist.

"Run, Elrohir!" Elladan shrieked as the orc blundered into the trees, holding him in its tight grip.

"Elladan!" Elrohir wailed.

Rocks and sticks dug into Elladan's back as the orc dragged him over the ground behind him. He groaned with each jolt and cut the forest floor dealt him, his heart sinking as the orc hauled him back toward Elrond in the swamp.

The orc snapped off a branch from the next tree and let Elladan fall to the ground. The elfling groaned and pulled himself to his hands and knees, his torn skin stretching in agony. He let out a cry of pain as the stick whizzed down to lash across his arms, the movement reminding him bitterly of Elrond's spankings, and realized the orc intended to beat him to death.

Elladan stumbled to his feet under the force of the stinging blows and tried to run but the orc lunged after him and brought him to the ground. Elladan crawled back and smashed himself against the roots of a tree, his arms over his face. He could feel the welts swelling on his skin already.

Elladan whimpered, the pain spreading. He felt as strangely helpless as he had during Elrond's past switching's in Rivendell but the lashes were harder, and the smell of the orc sickened him. He wanted to run but the orc loomed up in his view, blocking him.

"Elladan!"

Elrond's voice rang through the trees as he emerged from the underbrush. The cracking of sticks behind him told of the orcs pursuing him. Elladan scrambled away as Elrond's sword cut out the orc's heart and ducked for cover behind the thick trunk of the tree.

An arrow whistled through the air and took an orc with it to the ground. Elladan looked up to see Legolas perched on a broad branch, loading another arrow to his longbow, his face a determined line. A moment later Thranduil sprinted onto view, his blade drawn, motioning for Legolas to stay out of the fight.

Elladan turned his face away as the elf King and Elrond finished off the last few orcs. Legolas shimmied down out of the tree and came to his side, asking, "Are you alright?"

"Elrohir," Elladan said weakly, thinking of the last orc chasing his twin. His fears were unfounded as Elrohir darted out of the trees, his expression pale. Landion followed, his hands covered in oozing blood and a dagger in one hand.

"Landion! Are you hurt?" Thranduil demanded.

Landion shook his head, tottering over to Thranduil with a dazed expression.

"He killed the orc chasing me," Elrohir explained. "He saved my life."

Thranduil turned to the scouts behind him. "Burn these bodies. Send patrols to search the rest of the swamps for orcs, and order the place kept under surveillance. I will send Hyrondal out with further orders."

The leader of the patrol bowed and nodded, moving to perform his task. Thranduil took Legolas and Landion by the hands and said, "Come, let us return to the palace and clean up. Elladan, you could use a quick trip to the healers."

"It—it is not bad," Elladan answered, his voice shaking. "It—it is not much worst then what Elrond used to do to our behinds with the strap."

Thranduil gave him a long look. "It is clearly much worst, Elladan. I hate to think Elrond hit you as hard as the orc was."

Elladan winced as the cuts on his arms smarted. He followed Thranduil from the swamp with his head drooping.

The cuts on his arms still smarted, come to think of it, Elladan reflected. A few minutes walk from the palace; Elrond had stopped him and Elrohir to deliver his speech.

"I swear to you both I will not hurt you again. I give you my word, Elladan and Elrohir, you will never be spanked or beaten to switched or whipped again. I swear in the name of the valar I will not paddle or belt you again. The strap in Rivendell will be destroyed. And may I be struck down if I go back on my word."

Elrohir stared into Elrond's eyes, making an effort to control himself after the nightmare of running from an orc in the forest. He found he could not collect his dazed senses enough to question Elrond's word. He simply gave an unsteady nod and continued back to the palace.

A hot cup of tea would help calm his nerves and he knew Harune would have the mugs ready.

Harune delivered the hot cup to his hands as soon as Elrohir sank down to the sofa and leaned back to sip it. Elladan sat beside him, an identical mug in hand.

"Let me run a hot bath for you all," Thranduil said. "And, Elladan, I think you could use a little salve on your arms."

Elladan winced as he raised his mug. "It—it does hurt. Much. I mean, Elrond used to spank us and . . ."

"You finish your tea, bathe, and Harune will give you a tin of salve," Thranduil answered. He left the room, leaving Elrond to sit in his armchair.

"I shot an orc," Legolas told Harune. He looked pale but his voice held steady. "I killed it. I was not sure if I could hit it."

Landion looked at his stained hands. "I killed one to. I-I have blood all over me. The new robe you gave me is ruined, ada."

Harune hugged him from behind. "Ion, your new robe is not as precious as your life. A quick bath will clean you up and the tea will settle your nerves. I am proud you put your own fears behind you to save Elrohir's life."

Landion turned into his embrace to swallow and sniff and smile. "I could not let him die—I-I wanted to run and hide."

"Me to," Elrohir said. "Hannon le for being braver then me."

Landion nodded and accepted his cup of tea. "Will the scouts make sure there are no more orcs hiding in the forest?"

"The scouts will do an admirable job with Hyrondal to lead them," Harune assured him. "Now drink your tea."

"Do you believe me, Elladan and Elrohir?" Elrond asked his sons as Harune left the room. The twins looked up at him and squirmed over their cups, the steam from the mugs blowing over their flushed faces.

"Not—not as much as we would like to," Elrohir admitted. "We know you swore an oath not to spank us but . . . you cannot prove it is true."

"I can try," Elrond answered. "If you will give me a chance."

Legolas jumped up and ran from the room as Thranduil beckoned from the door. His footsteps sprinted in the direction of the bathroom.

"We will let you try," Elrohir said as he sipped his tea. "But we will not make any promises to return to Rivendell with you, no matter the results."

Elrond's face fell slightly but he replied, "Of course. Are—are you hurt?"

Elladan looked at his arms. "They sting; being hit with a stick hurts. I was more afraid the orc would start stabbing at me with the pointy end."

"After your bath, I will be happy to rub salve into the marks," Elrond offered, unconsciously holding his breath as he awaited the reply.

Elladan looked at his twin and gave a little shrug. "All right. But it would have been nice if you had offered to rub salve into our hurting skin in Rivendell after you finished 'punishing' us."

"I am sorry about what I have done to you in the past. If I could take back time, I would rewind it and make it so Celebrian and I never hurt you. But since I am without the ability, please forgive me for everything I put you through."

Elrond's voice was sincere and his eyes were hopeful but Elrohir looked into them without a flinch. "We accept your apology. But we cannot forgive you for everything you made us suffer until you show us you mean it."

"And I hope I can prove it," Elrond said quietly. "I want to show you how much I love you. I want to give you all the love you missed."

Elrohir looked at his twin and nodded. "We would like that." He smiled softly. "We never missed the love, Elrond. You gave us so little we snatched it when we could. The rest of the time we hoped in desperation you would stop using love as an excuse to hurt us."

"I will throw the excuse aside. I will never use it again."

Elrohir looked up as Legolas came into the room with his hair in wet tendrils on his shoulders. Thranduil entered behind him, flinging the damp towel in his hands over the back of the closest chair. Legolas giggled as he sprawled onto the sofa. "Remember the first time you gave me a bath, ada?"

Thranduil pretended to groan. "How could I forget the day? I was as wet as you by the time it was over, and I never got in the tub!"

Legolas rolled onto his back and dragged his head up to rest on the narrow end of the sofa. "I might have splashed you once or twice."

Thranduil's eyebrow rose in mockery. "Once or twice? Is that how you remember it? Elladan, Elrohir, your bathes are ready."

Elrond rose from his seat and followed the twins from the room. Harune looked after him.

"Do you think he means what he said, ada?" Landion asked, looking into Harune's eyes.

The elf shrugged. "I do not know, Landion. Elrond seems to bounce back and forth his beliefs. We will have to wait and see how much sincerity Elrond puts into his oath."

"I hope he can do it," Landion said earnestly. "I do not hate for the things he has done. I hope he can make the twins happy. They deserve so much more then he gave them."

Harune patted his dirty head with a broad smile. "I know you do, Landion. Now you come with me for your bath!"

Legolas turned to Thranduil as Harune and Landion left the room. "Ada, is it wrong if I hate Elrond a little bit? I do not like him much because I know what it feels like to be hurt by someone big and strong and I-I do not like people who exact their strength upon those smaller then them."

Thranduil sat on the floor, resting his chin on the edge of the couch, looking up at Legolas. He brushed damp hair out from under his hand and answered, "Do you need to dislike him? It does not seem to be your dislike shows."

"I feel it," Legolas answered. "It is not strong and I feel it when I think of him beating the twins. I want him to change to, and be to the twins like what you are to me."

Thranduil patted his son's hand. "And I think Landion feels the same way. He did not say it but I am sure he feels a little anger toward Elrond for what he did to Elladan and Elrohir. I know how I felt toward Lord Katar about what he did to you."

"Harune killed him," Legolas said, thinking back to the day spent fleeing the Forbidden Grove.

"Yes, but the damage to you had already been done."

"It is faded now," Legolas promised.

Thranduil smiled. "I know. I could feel your heart and soul healing. It is part of our special bond."

Above the two, Elrond changed in his room and left his torn clothes to the seamstresses of the palace to mend. Combing his hair, he stepped out into the hall as Elladan and Elrohir tumbled from the bathroom, a cloud of steam following them. The elf lord watched his sons cross the hall, giggling and wringing water out of their hair before plunging into their room. Elrond leaned back to put the comb on the table inside the door of his room and snatched the tin of white salve from it.

Elladan and Elrohir turned at his entrance, slipping into thin white robes in preparation for the evening. Elrohir moved aside. "I am not bruised, Elrond. Elladan needs a massage more then me."

"Is it your arms or are there more lashes elsewhere?" Elrond asked as Elladan flopped onto the bed and closed his eyes. Elladan cracked his eyes open to stare at him and shook his head.

"It is mostly my arms. I have a few cuts on my back and legs but the majority of the stick fell on my arms."

"And here," Elrond said, touching a scape on the side of Elladan's face. The elfling winced.

Elrond unscrewed the top of the salve and put it down on the bed. He dipped his fingers into the cool white ointment and plastered one of Elladan's arms with it. Sitting beside his son, he used both hands to work the salve into Elladan's skin, his hand feeling over the raised welts on his arm.

"Does it hurt?" Elrond asked.

"A little," Elladan answered. He considered. "It is more of an ache, actually."

Elrond nodded and kept rubbing. When he finished the first arm, he moved onto the next. As he rubbed the last bits of salve into the arm, Elladan propped himself up on his elbows. Elrond shut the tin and tossed it to Elrohir.

"Hannon le," Elladan said, sitting on the edge of the bed. He swung his legs over the side.

"Of course," Elrond said, reaching out to gather Elladan's hair and pull it off his shoulders onto his back.

"It is almost dinner time," Elladan said, twisting to look at him. He slid off the bed and reached for Elrohir's hand. He held the door for Elrond and the trio descended to dinner.

* * *

Erestor felt her growing belly as Ariel grinned.

"I want to have a portrait done of me and you and the baby," she said. "When the leaves turn to fall, the color will be perfect to put to paint."

Erestor kissed her cheek. "We will have to find someone who is willing to paint a beautiful and naked woman else the baby will not really be in the picture, hidden under a dress."

Ariel slapped his arm with teasing eyes. "Really, Erestor, what has gotten into you? Come have a hot pie to help settle whatever it is you have been drinking."

Erestor protested. "Nothing have I drunk. But I will take a pie."

* * *

 **Well, it looks like this chapter did indeed come a day late! Thank you for your patience and understanding in waiting. The next update will be as usual, posted on the 25th.  
**

 **Thank you so much for reading. I love hearing your thoughts at the close of each chapter and being inspired by what you have to say.**

 **Elrond is growing better and better at being a father. What did you think of his vow?**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond's tests begin . . .**


	78. I Felt Love

Elrohir stared defiantly into Elrond's eyes, his hands clenched at his sides. "I do not care. You do not care."

"I do care, Elrohir," Elrond said, kneeling beside his son. "I care so much. I am sorry for what I have done to you in the past. Please believe my oath; I will not hurt you again. I will not hurt Arwen."

"I-I cannot forgive you. You hurt me too much! Stop asking for me to forgive you; I cannot. And I am not sorry."

Elrond pinched his lips together. "What can I do to show you I mean it?"

"Nothing," Elrohir cried. "Leave me alone! I-I hate you!"

"Hating people is not right, Elrohir," Elrond said gently. "Hating people hurts you."

"I do not care," Elrohir snapped. "It is true, and I will not hide it. Your oath is a lie; you have lied to me more then Elladan. I will never trust you again. I stopped trusting you the second time you spanked me. And I remember it only too well!"

"I do not lie this time, Elrohir. How can I prove it to you if you will give me no chance?"

"I have no chances left to give you," Elrohir said bitterly. "Do you know how many times I went to bed after being spanked and said to myself, "All I want is for ada to truly love me. Maybe if I wait a little longer, he will stop hitting me." No, you have no idea, and I lost count once I hit the triple digits. You never gave a bloody—"

Elrond clapped his hand over Elrohir's mouth to cut him off. "No swearing, ion. I will not tolerate it."

Elrohir looked into his eyes as Elrond kept his hand pressed across his lips. He ripped himself away and fled from the room, biting back angry tears.

Elrond sighed and pressed a hand to his forehead. He had hurt Elrohir more then Elladan. All he wanted was to show his son how much he meant his oath. But Elrohir refused to give him a chance.

Feeling like a short rest would help, Elrond walked up to his room, feeling heated from his argument with Elrohir minutes earlier. He stopped as he tripped over a fallen tunic and frowned; convinced he had not left any of his clothes strewn about. He looked up and gasped as he saw the drawers of his dresser turned out, the contents spilled across the floor.

"What in Middle Earth?" Elrond exclaimed, his annoyance rising as he regarded the mess. It had clearly been done on purpose, and the thought annoyed him even more. Had Legolas or Landion decided this would be funny? Or was it . . . Elrohir.

Elrond turned to leave his room, frowning with frustration, but a noise in his wardrobe stopped him. On silent feet, he crossed to the wardrobe and listened, hearing heavy breathing coming from inside. Apparently the culprit was still in the room with him.

Elrond twisted the knob and opened the door. Elrohir let out a shriek and moved to dart past him but Elrond caught him by the wrist and held him back. Wrestling Elrohir under control, Elrond gestured to his ransacked room. "Would you care to explain yourself?"

"No," Elrohir cried. "Let me go. I have nothing to say, and I do not care what you do to me!"

"Elrohir, our disagreement earlier is no reason to come in here and throw my room into upheaval. I know you were upset over things that have happened in the past, but you cannot take your anger out in this manner. Do you understand?"

"No," Elrohir said, and hot tears filled his eyes. "Go ahead. Muffle me again. Make me be quiet because I am small." His jaw began to tremble.

Elrond sank down to the bed with thoughts of spanking Elrohir to punish him for his wrong deeds but he held back the thought as he remembered his oath. How he wanted to administer the punishment but instead he froze the idea and sat Elrohir on his lap, feeling the elfling cringe as he picked him up as though he feared being turned over Elrond's knee. "I will not muffle you. You may speak your mind and I will listen."

Elrohir made no reply but to turn and bury his face in Elrond's shirt. He began to sob, the tears turning the elf lord's shirt wet. He felt the wet cloth touch his skin as he rubbed Elrohir's back to help soothe him.

"You have never been kind. Never, never," Elrohir sobbed.

Elrond said nothing, his heart swelling that listening to his son meant so much to Elrohir.

"I have nothing to say," Elrohir sniffled. "I-I was angry about the things you said to me earlier."

"But that is not why you emptied out my drawers, is it?" Elrond questioned.

Elrohir hesitated before he shook his head. "No. But I will not tell you why I emptied out your drawers."

"You will help me clean up the mess you have made," Elrond said firmly. "What you did was wrong, no matter the reasons, and you must make amends. Because I have sworn to stop spanking you does not mean I will let you get away with wrong. There will still be punishments. Do you understand?"

Elrohir leaned closer to him and gave a small nod. "Yes. And I am sorry for some of the things I said to you earlier. You are right; I should give you a chance to prove yourself. It-it is just—I cannot bring myself to trust you. I want to give you a second chance but I gave you so many chances to stop spanking me and you never did . . ."

"I was unfair to you, Elrohir. I never gave you the chance to speak your mind, to explain yourself. I know you tried and struggled to make your feelings known and I never listened. I want to give you the chance to speak to me about your feelings. I want you to know the next time you are struggling, I will listen to you with more then half and ear."

Elrohir looked into Elrond's sincere eyes and faltered. "I-I guess I will try to give you another chance to prove you mean your oath. One more."

"One more is all I am asking," Elrond said, leaning down to kiss the top of Elrohir's dark head.

Elrohir sat on Elrond's lap, curled against his chest for a while longer, letting his upset breathing return to normal before he got down on his knees beside Elrond to pick up the clothing strewn across the room.

* * *

 **Elrohir is still struggling, but I think he is beginning to unfold his torn petals, don't you?**

 **Thank you all so much for reading. Sharing this story means so much to me, and I love being inspired by your thoughts and suggestions at the end of each chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond's vow is tested!**


	79. I Feel My Heart Sing

"I am still not sure why Elrohir emptied out my drawers," Elrond said, sipping his wine. He sat with Glorfindel, Thranduil, and Harune in the cool summer evening devoid of bugs on the balcony.

Dinner past, the elflings of the palace were tucked into bed while their parents lounged in the night with a strong cup of wine and the half-full bottle.

Thranduil sat in a wicker chair, his long legs stretched out with Harune beside him and Glorfindel facing him. Elrond stood at the railing with his back to it. The river flowed beneath it, glimmering in the moonlight as the pale orb rose into the sky.

Harune raised an eyebrow. "Indeed? I have a good idea of why Elrohir behaved the way he did."

"It does not make sense," Elrond complained.

Harune smiled, glancing at Thranduil and seeing his son shared the same thoughts. "Come now, Elrond, you are not without intelligence. Under normal circumstances in Rivendell, assuming none of this business with the twins running away, what would you have done if the twins ransacked your room in a fit or rage?"

"You are not without intelligence," Elrond retorted. "You know perfectly well what I would have done! You need not ask the question."

Glorfindel answered for him, "You would have applied punishment with the strap."

"Yes," Harune said. "Elrohir knows what you do when he commits senseless acts of recklessness. He knows what you do when he disobeys you or displeases you. He knows what you do when he steals or lies because it is always the same and it always hurts.

"Elrohir knows also you made an oath in which you promised to change the way you punish him. He knows you have spent all the years of his life lying to him about your love for him and, as such, he holds your word in very little regard.

"But I think he wanted to believe you meant your oath this time round. His actions in ransacking your bedroom were a test."

Elrond choked on his wine. "A test? In what way?"

"Elrohir probably approached your room with the view when you caught him, you would spank him. I am sure he thought if you meant your oath from your heart this time, as you say you do, you would not spank him," Harune replied. He tilted his head and studied Elrond. "What did you do?"

Elrond stared at Harune, finding Elrohir's actions made sense. A wave of relief washed over him; he had wanted to spank Elrohir. He had intended to spank Elrohir. But he had kept his oath.

"I . . . made him understand what he had done was wrong, and I made him help me clean up the mess he made. I said he must spend an hour cleaning a stall in the stables." Elrond brightened with his answer. "Perhaps Elrohir will trust me now."

Harune looked doubtful. "Oh, I think there will be more tests ahead in the future for you, Elrond. I do not think not spanking him once will bring Elrohir to trust you; it will take a little more to convince him you mean what you say."

"I do not know how much I will be able to take if he makes it a habit to annoy me at every chance he gets," Elrond said with a frown.

"We all take as much as we can until the overload causes us to snap or the burden slips away," Harune answered as he finished his wine. "I took as much as I could watching you hurt the twins before I snapped."

Elrond winced at the memory. "I shall never forget."

"Regrettable, that," Harune said with a dip of his head. "But I hope you will remember I am deeply sorry."

Elrond moved to reply but the hanging curtain over the door rattled and Landion stumbled through, rubbing his eyes, blinking as he searched for his father. "Ada? I know you told me not to leave bed but when are you coming to bed? I am tired but I cannot sleep."

Harune looked into his empty cup and smiled. He rose to his feet and set the goblet down beside the wine bottle. Lifting Landion into his arms, he gave a goodnight wave and plunged through the dangling bead curtain hanging across the exit to the balcony.

Glorfindel gave a deep sigh and slurped down the last of his wine. "I do feel pleasantly rested. I enjoyed the Stag Hunt immensely."

"Yes, it was a fair time," Elrond agreed. He swirled the remainder of the wine in his cup.

"We should have celebrations in Rivendell," Glorfindel said. "I do think the whole valley could add some laughter to it. We do not need a forest to have a party."

Elrond was about to make a remark about the inappropriateness of lords and ladies dancing with the baker's wife but checked himself as he recalled Thranduil whirling past him in the clear company of a commoner. She had been laughing and grinning, her blue dress floating around her heels.

Glorfindel seemed to sense his thoughts, as did Thranduil. "Ah, you think of me and Elena? I have danced with a hundred women during the Tarnin Austa. It is a dance, after all, and I have no wife. But even when she lived, I still danced with a hundred women and she with a hundred men. It is a party of freedom and good will. The whole point is to not be alone."

"I cannot say I approve of philandering myself," Elrond said coldly.

"Oh, it was not philandering in anyway. I am sure you have been to parties, Elrond, where it is custom for the women and men to switch partners."

Elrond let out a heavy breath. The subject of dancing made him feel cold inside. It made him think of Celebrian in her dancing dress, laughing in his arms under the stars. She should not be alone in Rivendell, so far away.

"I must have danced with two hundred women," Glorfindel said with a grin. "I dare say I have outdone the great King Thranduil."

"My dear Glorfindel," Thranduil said with exaggerated patience and he hefted himself to his feet, "The women of Mirkwood have all danced with their King by now. You are someone new and exciting. I dare say it is not everyday a balrog slayer flaunts himself off among us. Now, before Legolas appears saying _he_ cannot sleep, I better be off."

Elrond set down his cup as Thranduil yawned his way off the balcony. "Glorfindel, do you think I am doing right with Elladan and Elrohir?"

"I do not think you are doing wrong," Glorfindel replied. He patted Elrond's arm. "I know it is hard for you."

"I . . . it is not as hard now as I imagined. I . . . I am finding it easy to be with Elladan and Elrohir. Difficult, yes, when they cheek me. But when I return to Rivendell what if Celebrian does not wish to make the efforts I have? What if my wife does not want to give up spanking?"

Glorfindel met Elrond's worried eyes. "Now, mellon nin, we will cross the bridge when we come to it, and hope it will not be so."

"It is worrying," Elrond almost complained. "I do not wish to be against her, and we are meant to raise Elladan and Elrohir together."

Elrond opened his mouth to reply but the curtain jingled and Elladan emerged. He looked a little shy as he met Elrond's eyes, knowing he should be in bed.

"What is it?" Elrond asked.

"I . . . am looking for Thranduil," Elladan admitted.

Elrond's heart sank a little; the twins still preferred Thranduil to him. "He went to bed to be with Legolas, I believe."

"Oh," Elladan said. He seemed to consider, unsure of what to say until Elrohir poked his head through the curtain and spoke for him.

"We will not bother Thranduil if he is with Legolas; perhaps tomorrow night he will let us sleep with him. But perhaps you would like to come sleep with us instead of Thranduil now?" He looked hard at Elrond.

"I would be delighted," Elrond answered, a smile breaking across his face.

* * *

Under the elm tree the air was cool despite the heat from the sun. The painter sat ahead of them, his brushes and paints laid out on the table beside him. Ariel could feel the baby kicking inside her as the breeze wafted across her naked skin. Her arms and Erestor's were on her growing belly as they sat.

"My mouth is hurting from all this smiling," Ariel said out of the corner of her mouth to Erestor, resting his chin on her shoulder behind her.

Erestor grinned. "Pylax said it would be done around now."

The painter waved for them to be at ease and Ariel relaxed, sliding into her dress. Pylax turned the gold-framed portrait around for them to see. The vivid colors of the trees and sky made Ariel smile. The thought of the baby inside her made her smile grow wider.

"It is beautiful," Erestor said. "We will hang it above the hearth."

"I have a feeling I will be back to do another when the baby is born," Pylax said with a wink as he took off his paint-spattered apron.

Ariel laughed. "I will not be naked next time! Help me carry it home."

* * *

 **Another step has been made between the twins and Elrond. I am sure his heart is singing as he goes to sleep with his sons.  
**

 **Thank you for reading. I love sharing with you and hearing your thoughts at the close of each chapter!**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond's vow is tested again. This time he fetches a switch . . .  
**


	80. I Heard Horror

"Will you come on a picnic with us in the forest?" Elrohir asked Elrond. "We have Thranduil's permission to be excused from lunch, and we have finished all our lessons."

Elrond looked out the window of the living room. The sun shone clear and the branches of the trees swayed. He rose to his feet and nodded. "Of course I will join you. Do you have a glade in mind for the picnic?"

Elrohir nodded. "Yes. Elladan went ahead with the basket to the glade by the river where the pool is. We thought we might swim if it does not rain later."

Elrond held out his hand to Elrohir but the elfling shook his head. "I will catch up with you. Elladan sent me back for the lemonade he forget to take with him."

"Do not take long or the sandwiches we will eat without you," Elrond called back with a grin. Elrohir actually smiled and waved before he darted off on his mission.

Elrond plunged into Mirkwood alone, his hands clasped behind his back. He whistled as he walked in the direction of the river, along the now-familiar paths. He arrived at the glade but found it empty. There was no sign of Elladan anywhere.

Thinking perhaps Elladan had forgotten something else and gone to fetch it, Elrond sat down on a warm rock in the sunlight to wait. He waited fifteen idle minutes but neither of his sons appeared. Frowning, Elrond stood, wondering briefly if this was the wrong glade. But it could not be; the pool rippled behind him. Elrohir had specifically pointed him to this glade.

The sun had dimmed. A crash of thunder startled Elrond from his thoughts. A warm shower of rain hammered down on the ground, sending the elf lord rushing for the trees. The thick branches full of leaves offered some protection from the drops at first but the water soon seeped through the curtain and splashed over Elrond as he hurried back to the palace. The paths turned muddy under his boots.

When Elrond arrived dripping at the palace, he inquired in irritation of the whereabouts of the twins. He changed into dry clothing in his room and wandered into the bedroom of his sons to stand by the window, watching the rain falling outside. The rain gave the air a cool, fresh scent, and it wafted into the humid room as he clasped his hands behind his back. He turned as Elladan and Elrohir stepped into the room.

"Elladan," Elrond said, turning with a stern note in his voice, "Elrohir. You both lied to me. There was no picnic. You wished only to let me be caught in the rain."

The twins exchanged glances and fidgeted where they stood. Elrohir bit his lip as Elrond came toward them.

"You know well I do not tolerate lying," Elrond said, his hands still clasped behind his back. "I do not tolerate lying."

"I-I did not lie exactly," Elrohir stammered. "Elladan _was_ waiting in the forest with the basket. There was a picnic between the two of us."

Elrond nodded. "Indeed. But you dragged me out under false pretenses, did you not? I am sure you thought it would be an amusing joke. But such untruths are not funny."

Elladan looked at Elrohir with worried eyes but his twin put a hand on his arm and shook his head slightly.

"I suppose we thought it would make a good prank," Elrohir said, clearing his throat. "We-we—um—never laughed."

"Well, I am about to see to it you do not make a bad habit of repeating such jokes," Elrond said. "There is nothing wrong with a prank, as I am sure you know well, but there are some jokes that go too far. Jokes involving lies and false truths are not alright."

Elrond felt the twins' eyes on him as he closed the door to the living room and caught their flinches in the corner of his eyes. He saw Elladan's hand close over Elrohir's in a protective gesture, and heard the elfling whisper low, "Thranduil is down in the kitchens right now."

Elrond came around to face the twins. "Have you anything to say for yourselves? Have you any explanation you would like to offer? Or perhaps an apology for me?"

"No," Elladan said, thrusting his chin forward. "We have nothing to say. It-it was merely fun."

"Not for me," Elrond said with a sudden note of coldness in his voice. "There are some jokes that are funny, yes. But when a prank destroys someone's property, involves deliberate lies and falsehoods, and puts another person in danger, it is no longer a prank. Do you understand me?"

"Yes," Elrohir said quietly. "We understand. May we be excused?"

"No. You have yet to be punished."

Elrond thought he saw a suppressed shiver run through Elrohir as he crossed to the window and snapped a switch off from the branch outside. He shook the water off it as he stripped the leaves off the limber tool and held it up for the twins to see. Their dark eyes pooled in sudden fear and Elrohir took an actual step back.

"Do you see this?" Elrond demanded, brandishing the switch. "This . . . I do not intend to use." He tossed it onto the bed.

Elrohir moved another step back, taking Elladan with him as Elrond picked up his hairbrush. "This also I will not use." It joined the switch on the bed.

A shoe, a belt, a bamboo cane, a wooden spoon, a paddle, a ruler, a strap, and a whip completed the collection on the bed. Elrond finalized it by saying, "If I could throw my hand to join them, I would. But as I cannot, you will have to take my word for it I am not going to use it to punish you. Now come here."

Elrohir looked at the bed and swallowed. It occurred to him the world was a horrible place if so many "tools" had been used for spanking children. Elladan tugged at his hand and drew him over to stand beside Elrond.

Elrond saw his face and nodded. "I agree; there are quite a few instruments people have used to aid them in the "punishing" of children." He saw Elrohir shudder.

Elrohir bit down on his lip. "Do not punish Elladan. He-he was not the one who lied to you."

Elrond raised his eyebrow. "I will punish you both because you both played equal parts in this, did you not?"

Elrohir hung his head. His legs gave out under him and he sank to his knees, burying his face in Elrond's lap. His shoulders shook though his sobs were muffled, and he held tight to the elf lord's robes. Elladan looked distressed.

Elrond lifted Elrohir into his lap and rested his son's head on his shoulder. "What is the matter, little one? Are you scared of being punished?"

"N-n-no-no, it is not that," Elrohir said, shaking his head. He sniffed and wiped his eyes. "I-I am sorry we dragged you out into the woods under false pretenses. And I am sorry we emptied out the drawers in your room. It-it was not really a joke."

"No?" Elrond asked.

Elrohir shook his head and confirmed Harune's theory. He glanced at his twin before he spoke. "It-it was more of-of a test to see if you were sincere about your _oath_. We knew—we knew we could be punished for it. We knew we would be. We-we-um-we—"

Words appeared to fail Elrohir and he broke off. Elladan resumed. "We figured if you meant your oath you would not spank us and if you were not sincere, you would."

"And you were willing to _risk_ the possibility of being spanked to test me?" Elrond asked, meeting Elladan's dark eyes. He saw the elfling swallow.

"Yes," Elladan said composedly. "We—we elected to take it in turns, in case—in case you were lying . . ."

"I see you made sure Thranduil was not around."

Elladan let out a breath. "True. He will not be there in Rivendell, after all."

"So, to recapitulate: You and Elrohir were both willing to put my oath to the test and possibly risk being spanked?"

"Yes," Elrohir answered.

"Why?" Elrond questioned. "I know you hate it so why would you risk being subjected to it? Why would my oath mean so much to you?"

"It only means something to us if it is true," Elrohir said. "And we had to know if it is true. You have lied too us so many times we could not be if you were lying again. We-we agreed it would not matter so much if you spanked us once or twice." Hot tears filled his eyes as he muttered, "We could have gone to Thranduil."

Elrond hugged the elfling to his chest. He reached down to pull Elladan onto his lap as well. "I am sorry I frightened you. And I am sorry I treated you so badly you were forced to go to such drastic measures. I do mean my oath. I already told you none of the things on my bed would be used to punish you."

Elrohir sniffled. "I-I know. We want to go home. We want to see nana. But we do not want to be hurt anymore. We want you to love us. We do. But we want real love. Not the false stuff you twisted under our noses and used as an excuse to hit us. _We_ love you."

Elrond's eyesight became blurry. "I love you both, ion nins; both of you with all my heart. I never stopped loving you. Never. But I understand in the darkest of days there was a time when you could not feel it."

Elrohir wiped his nose and leaned against him. "That is true. Do you love us now?"

"Yes," Elrond answered without hesitation. "And I will not use my love as an excuse to spank you. I give you M _y Word_."

Elrohir nodded and sat up straight. "Elrond, we—we cannot return home . . . yet. But we might be able to in the future." He looked hopeful.

Elrond ran a hand over his hair. "I understand. When you are ready, you will tell me. Now, I know Thranduil, Legolas, Harune, and Landion are going out in a picnic tomorrow. You two will not be joining them. I understand the kitchen floors are in need of a serious cleaning and, in light of your actions, you will be the ones cleaning them."

Disappointment flickered across the faces of his sons but neither one protested. Elladan and Elrohir merely nodded.

Elrond drew in a deep breath and rose to his feet. "Good. And another such prank will not come to pass, will it?"

"No," Elrohir assured him. Despite the circumstances of his punishment, his eyes were still bright. Elrond nodded his approval, offered a hand to both twins, and walked with them down to dinner.

Elrond was surprised punishing the twins had been so easy. He liked having to punish his sons as much as any parent but Elladan and Elrohir had _not_ screamed and shrieked and begged and pleaded. They had _not_ quailed under the blows of the strap nor cowered in fear of the pain. Both elflings had accepted their punishment without disagreement; without protest, and . . . they had not screamed their usual outrage at him afterwards either.

Did that mean the punishment was not hard enough; that it was not effective enough?

* * *

Celebrian felt her heart rise in her throat as she heard a noise she never wished to hear again. She rushed into the leaving room and felt her heart clench as she heard Arwen wailing, pinned across Galadriel's knees.

"Nana!" her daughter sobbed, reaching for her mother and kicking in protest to Galadriel's spanks.

Celebrian made a lunge for Arwen, securing her in her arms. She kissed Arwen's tear-streaked face, hugged her tight, and gave her to Erestor's arms and shut the door behind him before she turned to explode.

" _How_ dare you? How _dare_ you? How dare _you_?"

Galadriel looked affronted. "Really, Celebrian, a little spanking is good for any child. Arwen did not heed my command to stay away from the fire so I have shown her that behavior is not acceptable."

"I do not care what she did, you will not lay a hand on my daughter again. If you cannot learn to discipline without your usual arsenal of wickedness, you will not be around Arwen ever again!"

"Would you prefer Arwen burned herself?"

"If you had bothered you get yourself out of your chair and pick her up instead of talking to her like she is a dog from across the room, Arwen would be in your arms and not near the fire! I have heard how you spoke to Elladan and Elrohir when they were two and three and five and I know how you spoke to me when I was little. And I will not have that tone of voice uttered in my household."

"You are most unreasonable," Galadriel said, her voice rising a notch.

"No, nana, for the first time in my life, I am reasonable. And I am sorry you cannot see it."

Celebrian whirled and left the room. She found Arwen sitting on Erestor's knee while he held her hands and bounced her.

"Horsey!" she cried.

Celebrian felt the smile coming back to her face. She blinked back tears and asked Erestor low, "Is she okay?"

Erestor nodded to a tin of salve on the low table. "I rubbed some salve into her skin to dull the ache of . . . Galadriel's actions. She is fine now. But I do not think she will want to be with Galadriel again."

Celebrian picked Arwen up and put her on her shoulders. "Thank you, Erestor. You will make a fine father. I apologize for thinking you would spank your child. Now, I have a very big favor to ask you. With Ariel so near the birth of the baby, I hope it is not too much to ask."

* * *

 **Celebrian has vanquished her demon. Or at least put her foot down and stood up for her daughter. What do you think of her actions? And how has Elrond done in keeping to his oath? I think his showed some real love in this chapter.**

 **I love hearing from you all. Your thoughts and comments always inspire a new scene in the chapters ahead.**

 **Happy Halloooowwwwweeeeeennnnnnn, you all!**

 **Next Chapter: The twins neglect their punishment . . .**


	81. I Am Not Really Bad

Elrond stepped down into the kitchens, looking for his sons. An hour earlier, after the royal family of Mirkwood had departed, Elladan and Elrohir had gone down to scrub the floors.

A bucket of soapy water and rags marked the place the twins had begun the work but now neither elflings were in sight. A kitchen maid informed Elrond Elladan and Elrohir had slipped out by the back door half an hour previously.

Scowling at this blatant showing of disobedience, Elrond went in search of the elflings who had dared rebuke their punishment. The ease with which he found the elflings made him wonder if this was not yet another test as he descended to the riverbank where Elladan and Elrohir sat grinning and laughing.

"Ions," Elrond said. His sons whipped around, smiles dying, and their eyes immediately went to his hands as if checking to see if Elrond had a switch with him.

"What?" Elladan demanded impudently.

"Do you recall yesterday's events?" Elrond said. He nodded. "I thought so. I am sure you recall why I sent you to the scrub the kitchen floors, do you not? Why are you here?"

"We do not want to clean the floors right now," Elladan answered, waving away the punishment. "What will you do? You cannot hit us."

Elrond squatted down beside the twins. "That is not true. I can hit you. I chose not to. I expect you both to return to the kitchens with me."

"You will have to drag us back," Elrohir volunteered.

Elrond put a hand on his shoulder. "I do not want to do that, Elrohir. I know there was a time when I would have not have hesitated to drag you home. No, check that. There is a time when I would not have hesitated to take you over my knee now and spank you. But I will not do so now. However, while I have chosen not to spank you I will not tolerate such arrogant defiance of my word. Do you understand?"

"And what if we told you the only way to make us obey you is to take this stick and spank us with it?"

Elrond rose to his feet. "I would not take it, Elrohir. But I am disappointed with both of you."

Elrohir tossed the stick onto the river and rose to his feet. "We will return to the kitchens."

"And you will finish your work," Elrond said. "I will be there to make sure it is done. And when you are down with your work—" He paused a moment to think—"When you are finished, you will go the library and write a full page on _respect_."

"And if we refuse?" Elrohir asked. "If we refuse to finish our work in the kitchens and write the paper? What will you do then?"

"I will put you both in your room for the remainder of the day," Elrond answered. "And you will eat cold bread and milk alone in your room for the next day."

His sons nodded. "We will not test you. We will serve out the remainder of our punishment."

Elrond looked at them both in suspicion but said nothing. In the kitchens, Elrond made himself comfortable at one of the tables with a plate of warm buns. He sat and watched his sons finish their work, and accompanied them to the library. He left them at a table with pen and ink and settled down with a book, one eye on the page and the other glancing up now and then to make sure both elflings were working diligently.

"You need not watch us," Elladan volunteered.

"This time I think I will," Elrond answered. "I hope I will not have to doubt your word in the future, and may feel as if I can leave you to write your paper without sneaking off."

Elladan flushed and returned to his paper. "It was only a test this time, Elrond. We are not actually bad."

"I should hope not," Elrond answered drily.

The twins finished their individual papers on respect and submitted them to Elrond to read. While their views and examples of respect were different, both twins seemed to agree on one thing: a person who did not treat others with respect had no right to demand to be treated with respect.

"Well done," Elrond said. "You are excused. But I expect you to maintain the attitude you suggest in your papers since it seems you understand respect very well indeed."

His sons looked at him with mischievous grins and made no reply but to leave the vast halls of the library. The smell of books and ink was shut off behind them as Elrond closed the door.

* * *

Elrond paced the living room floor while Landion looked on with interest from the couch, a book on his curled knees.

"What is the matter?" Landion asked with a note of sympathy in his voice.

Elrond glanced at him. "My wife. I have not heard from her in weeks. It is most worrying. She writes frequently to me."

"As you write with speed to her," Landion noted. "I have seen you at your desk. Perhaps the letters are lost? The carrier birds do go astray at times or are hunted down and killed by other birds."

"I do not think half a dozen letters would all go missing," Elrond said drily, refraining from chewing on his nails in worry.

"If she has written half a dozen letters in the intervening time," Landion said without tact.

"I hate to think someone has been suppressing them," Elrond said, and resumed his circles around the sofa.

"No one would do so," Landion said in a shocked voice.

"Where is your father?" Elrond demanded. "He seems to know everything going on in these halls."

Landion pursed his lips. "I do not know where ada is. He deposited me here an hour ago with this book and left. I believe he is perusing the palace and attending several meetings. He said he might be back by four." Landion's voice expressed doubt as to the truth of this statement.

"Bother," said Elrond, looking at the time and seeing it was half past four already.

"Life is very busy at times," Landion said virtuously. "You might try the tower where the birds come in to land. The handlers might know something."

"I already asked," Elrond muttered as he left the room.

* * *

Ariel stood at the high top of Summit's Peak and looked down at the valley below; down the narrow path she and Erestor had climbed. A single tree and a large rock under it were the only ornaments atop the grassy hill. Ariel placed a hand on her round belly.

"The baby will be here any day now. Are you sure you are not needed in the office?"

Erestor squeezed her hand. "I assure you I am not."

Ariel trailed her hands over the flat rock as the heat died from its surface with the setting of the sun. She sat down suddenly. "Gracious valar, I think . . . the baby is coming."

Erestor shot a dismayed look down the narrow path to the valley and hurried to her side. "Now?"

Ariel looked at him. "Definitely. Take my cloak and light the lantern so we can see."

The flame in the lantern threw out a warm, golden light as Erestor lit it. He spread her cloak under Ariel and helped her sit with her back against the rock. She grabbed his hand as he sat behind her, and held on, nails biting into his skin.

Stars were shining overhead when a tiny wail lit up the cool night air. In the circle of light cast by the lantern, Erestor wrapped the baby swiftly in his cloak, taking a moment to savor the fresh face of his son, before he put the warm bundle in Ariel's arms.

"We have a son," he baby latched onto Ariel's breast to suckle as she touched his soft skin and looked up at Erestor to laugh, her eyes glowing.

* * *

 **Elrond is doing better then ever, is he not? After all, the twins are not actually bad!**

 **Thank you so much for reading; I love hearing your thoughts at the close of each chapter, especially from those of you who I have not heard from in some time!**

 **Next Chapter: Visitors arrive at Mirkwood and . . . Ariel and Erestor name their son!**


	82. I Saw Her Smile

"Visitors, my lord," Hyrondal announced, bowing to Thranduil and Harune. "At the front gates."

"Show them up to my throne," Thranduil answered. He made for his chair with Harune beside him, remarking, "It is fortunate I am still in my meeting attire and have no need to change. Now, I wonder who can it be?"

Several minutes' later three elves appeared, escorted by Hyrondal to the throne platform. The Captain of the Guard announced the party to his King and departed.

"Lord Celeborn," Thranduil said with a dip of his head. "Lady Galadriel. We did not expect your arrival for some days. We knew, of course, you would come."

"We cannot be expected to sit in Rivendell and wonder at the whereabouts of our family," Lady Galadriel replied, her voice crisp but cold.

Thranduil smiled, his sharp eyes noting his mistake. There were four elves, not three, for Lady Celebrian carried a white bundle in her arms. Before her parents could speak again, she jumped forward, arrayed in the covering folds of a blue traveling cloak.

Thranduil looked at Harune. "Undoubtedly Lady Celebrian would like to see her husband. If you will be so good as to fetch Elrond?"

Celebrian looked relieved as Harune departed. "Hannon le, King Thranduil. It has been hard for me being without more then half my family for—for—close to two years now. Letters do not bring me the feel of their warm flesh. I had to wait for Arwen to be big enough to travel and it nearly killed me."

"We never meant to cause you such worry," Thranduil apologized. "My sincerest apologies for what you have been through, your ladyship. You will be made comfortable here in Mirkwood for as long as you wish to stay."

"Which will not be for long, will it, Thranduil?" Lady Galadriel said, as if dictating an unspoken command.

Thranduil knew well what the Lady of Lothlorien wanted but made no move to bow to her request. "I am afraid I cannot say how long you will be here for. It is not I who decides the length of your stay but you yourself."

Galadriel made to reply but Elrond arrived at a run, pale faced and demanding with breathless eagerness, "Where is my wife?"

Celebrian turned to greet him, her eyes lighting up at the first sight of her husband, missed for so long. Careful of Arwen, she leaned into his embrace, one arm wrapped tightly around his waist and her face buried against his chest.

"Valar, how I missed you," she murmured, squeezing him tight. "I can hardly believe you are here now."

"I did not expect you to come," Elrond murmured. "I was worried for I received no letter. I hoped nothing had happened in my absence. But who watches over Rivendell in your stead?"

"Erestor manages perfectly," Celebrian answered, the worries of Imladris behind her as she turned her attention to a far more important matter. "Elrond, where are our sons?"

Elrond heard the concern and worries in her voice and quickly put his wife at ease. "You need not worry, beloved, Elladan and Elrohir are fine and well. Our sons are out with Legolas but will be back soon, I think."

"We will be returning to Rivendell shortly," Lady Galadriel said, inclining her head to Thranduil. "Elladan and Elrohir will be with us. It seems both elflings as well as their father is fit to travel. We need not impose upon your hospitality any longer."

Thranduil smiled. "You do not impose upon my hospitality. Elrond is free to leave at any moment he desires to do so. But Elladan and Elrohir will remain in Mirkwood until they make the choice to return home, no sooner."

"Elladan and Elrohir are but mere children," Lord Celeborn said coolly. "They do not know what is best."

Thranduil rose to his feet with dignity, an icy cold aura sweeping across the room. "Your lord and ladyship, if you think you can walk into my realm and move to order me about, you are mistaken. I have already argued this point with Elrond and I will not argue it again. My word is final. Whether you accept it or not is up to you. Harune will show you to your chambers; welcome to Mirkwood."

Thranduil descended from his throne and gestured to Lady Celebrian. "If you will accompany me, I will take you to your husband's room. If you wish an adjoining chamber, it will be arranged."

"No, the present arrangement is quite fine," Celebrian answered quietly. "But I am most anxious to see my sons."

"Elladan and Elrohir should be back any minute," Thranduil answered, consulting the time as he passed a clock mounted on the wall.

Harune led the royal party of Lothlorien in the opposite direction as Elrond and Celebrian followed Thranduil up to their chamber. Leaving the pair, Thranduil wrested Landion out of his chair in the living room and sent him to fetch Legolas and the twins.

"Your sons will be in shortly," Thranduil said as Elrond and Celebrian came into the living room and settled down on the couch. "If you will excuse me, I need to change."

"They must have grown so much," Celebrian said with a wistful note in her voice as she unlaced her bodice to feed Arwen.

"Yes," Elrond agreed. "We must talk, Celebrian. This long absence of ours is not what you think it is. I have remained here for a reason."

"We do need to talk," his wife said. She turned her eyes to meet his. "I . . . have recently changed my mind about something, and I hope you will agree with me when I say—"

The door to the room opened and the twins ran in accompanied by Legolas and Landion. Landion returned to his chair but the twins halted at the sight of their mother, stretching out half a hand as if wondering if the sight was a vision.

"Celebrian?" Elrohir choked. He stumbled toward the couch, his fingers brushing her arm as he sat down beside her. "Y-you are real . . . but how have you come? Why are you here?"

Elrond slid over to give Elladan room to sit down between him and Celebrian. Elladan's eyes were on his sister's pink and white face. Elrond caught a glimpse of something flickering in his eyes; sympathy? Pity, perhaps?

Arwen squirmed and Celebrian set her down on the floor. As she toddled off to explore the bookcase at the far end of the room, Celebrian tied the top of her dress and reached to hug her sons. Elladan and Elrohir took their eyes off Arwen and leaned into her embrace, their fingers tightening on her dress.

"How I have missed you," Celebrian murmured, her voice choked by unshed tears. "The nights have been long without you. The house is so quiet and unfriendly without you to make it a loving home. I miss your smiles and laughter and even your mischief."

At the last word, both twins winced and Celebrian drew back, running a hand over Elrohir's sleek hair. "You have both grown, my sweet ones. I missed watching you grow to." She wiped a tear from her eye and sniffed.

"We missed you," Elladan said, drawing in a deep breath. "We—we wondered how you are Arwen were. We wondered how our sister was." He looked at Arwen, pulling the books of the shelf and smiled.

"She is as spirited as you," Celebrian answered, her voice shaking. "The more I looked at her, the more I missed you. As soon as she was big enough to make the journey, I-I left. At once."

Elladan looked at Arwen once more as she left the books on the floor behind and went to explore the drawers of a chest.

"I-I found something of yours in Rivendell," Celebrian said. She drew out a leather-covered drawing pad. Elladan looked at it without recognition as she continued, "It was tucked under the mattress of your bed."

Comprehension flickered in the twins' eyes as they exchanged looks, knowing their mother must have gone through every page by now.

"I did not like some of the drawings," Celebrian admitted. "But the likeness is quite good."

Elladan took the book in silence. He rose to his feet with Elrohir and left the room. Celebrian looked at Elrond with wide eyes, frightened and desperate at the same time.

"I do not understand, Elrond. Why will they not speak with me? What have I done?"

"You have done no worst then I have," Elrond said softly, moving to comfort her. "Elladan and Elrohir would not speak to me when I came here. We have not treated them well in the past years and it is difficult to connect with them now. I am trying to show them how much I love them, and I have come a fair ways. But you have not done so yet."

Celebrian looked at him with a furrowed brow. "Elrond, I-I know you and I have been raised one way by our parents. And I know we are both rooted in our beliefs but we have done our sons a great wrong. We have spanked them when we could instead show them our love without using pain to correct their bad behavior. We have to stop or we will never have our children back. Please, for me, for our sons, for our children, put aside the belief you have lived with for so long! I know it will be hard for you—"

Relief washed across Elrond's face and he held up a hand to stop her, hugging his wife to him. "What do you think I have been doing with such energy for the past two years, my wife? I admit at first I was angry. I refused to listen to my sons, I refused to listen to Thranduil; I refused to listen to anyone. I wanted to bring Elladan and Elrohir home and continue life as it was before. However, I opened my ears since then. I listened to our children. And I made them a promise never to spank them again."

"You did?"

Elrond nodded. "Yes. Right now I am engaged in the tiresome process of proving to Elladan and Elrohir no matter what they do, I will not spank them. My room has been ransacked, I have been left out in the rain, and the twins have blatantly walked away from their punishments. It is most trying."

"Yes, but what I meant is why did you make the choice to stop spanking them?" Celebrian asked.

"There was an orc," Elrond said quietly. "He attacked Elladan with a stick. I . . . saw a more violent version of what I used to do with a strap. And I hated it. Hated myself for attacking my children."

"But surely the orc was quite recent," Celebrian said, casting her mind back to the fading cuts on Elladan's arms.

Elrond nodded. "Yes. That is so. The orc added passion to my earlier promise. I first decided to try and stop spanking Elladan and Elrohir after I heard the twins working over an assignment in the library. I heard a chance quote."

"Oh?" his wife questioned.

" _Families are bound firmly together by the ties of loyalty and love and only those with stains on their heart would twist the light to make way for their own darkness_ ," Elrond quoted. "Elrohir said it described our family well."

"It does," Celebrian said. She hastily amended, "It did. For me, it was not a quote so much but the drawing pad I returned to the twins. The images, and especially a single haiku, made me see through the twins eyes our punishments of them."

Elrond pressed her hands in his lap. "After I saw the gap open between Legolas and Thranduil I became aware that even the seemingly perfect father and son have their flaws. Seeing that let me relate to them more. While Thranduil and Legolas are happy together they have their stormy moments to, in the same manner me and the twins have ours. I knew the choice I made would not be an easy one but it would let me be near the elflings I loved."

As Celebrian smiled into his eyes, Elrond coughed and flushed as he admitted, "I kept badly to my resolution at first. I was unwilling to put time into the twins' punishments. I wanted to spank them and be done with it, and I-I did. Several times."

"It is no wonder Elladan and Elrohir want to prove you mean your oath," Celebrian answered. "But we all make mistakes, and I know how hard it is to stop you were away, I missed children so much; I agreed to look after half a dozen elflings for a week while their parents were out enjoying themselves. I had the most trying moments."

Elrond chuckled. His smile dimmed as Celebrian continued, "I wanted to spank some of them. But I stopped myself because I remembered how it feels. I thought about it long and hard. I remember my parents spanking me . . . and I remember how much I despised the pain . . ."

A crash broke the couple from their thoughts and Celebrian leapt to her feet exclaiming, "Arwen!"

Harune came through the door as Celebrian surveyed the overturned small table and an array of books, dirt, and a broken pot with dismay. Arwen fished the object of her desires out of the wreckage, decided the enameled box was not so interesting after all, and held up her arms to her mother.

" 'Tis been too long since a table went over," Harune remarked.

"I am so sorry," Celebrian apologized as she swept Arwen into her arms.

"There is nothing to apologize for," Harune said, waving it away. "I cannot tell you how many times Thranduil broke the pot of that poor plant in his youth. Terrible, it was. I could not turn my back without tensing for the crash. I dare say the plant missed being upset in the intervening centuries."

"I have had rather a lot of upsets at home," Celebrian admitted as she tweaked Arwen's chin. "More then we had with the twins . . ."

"You have to expect it," Harune answered, turning to Landion. "Fetch me the broom."

"Oh, but, ada!" the elfling protested, dragged from the enthralling pages of his book.

"Oh, but, Landion!" Harune said firmly, clapping his hands under his son's nose. The elfling obeyed with a grumble.

Celebrian nuzzled Arwen's hair. "What can I do to show the twins I am with you, Elrond; that I love them? Should I tell them?"

Elrond shook his head. "No. You must show them the sincerity of your words with action. Tell the twins once, offer them an apology if you are sorry, but do not try to make them believe you. I have tried and it fails."

Celebrian giggled at Elrond's rueful expression. "Oh, how I have missed you, hervenn nin!"

Elrond chucked her under the chin with a twinkle in his eyes. "And I you, vessë nin."

* * *

The baby squalled and Ariel rubbed her eyes with a tired groan. She knew her son wanted to be picked up. She heard Erestor sit up beside her and gently pick up his son from between them. He let the baby rest his small head on his shoulder as he slid out of bed and rubbed soft circles on his back to sooth him.

Ariel yawned. She rolled over and went back to sleep. Faintly, she heard their son stop crying as Erestor rocked him, walking the length of the house. She smiled as she heard his happy gurgles.

Erestor came back to bed an hour later. He kept the baby on the crook of his arm to keep him asleep.

"He needs a name," he said.

Ariel raised her head from her pillow. "There is no rush. He needs his name and we do not know it yet. No go back to sleep; you will have more work then ever taking over the office while Celebrian is away. I will pick him up next time."

"I do not mind," Erestor assured her. "I am happy to take Celebrian's place. She needs to be with Elrond in Mirkwood."

Ariel nodded but she was distracted by the baby's face. "Look, he is smiling in his sleep."

* * *

 **Now you know where Celebrian's letters went! I think it was about time for a family reunion. What do you say?**

 **Thank you so much for reading. I love sharing this story with you. As always, I love hearing from you. And I am curious if those I have not heard from in a while are still reading. Are you?**

 **Next Chapter: Elrohir runs away.  
**


	83. I Love Our Son

Elrohir stared into his mother's eyes, clutching Arwen tight to him. He huddled back as Celebrian took a step toward him and whimpered.

"No! I will not let you hurt her!" Elrohir cried, turning his face away. "Leave us alone!"

Celebrian held out her hands. "I will not hurt anyone, ion nin. Please believe me."

Two tears streaked down Elrohir's face. "You are lying! I-I know you are lying. You always hurt us when we refused to share our toys!"

"Winomo nin, I will not hurt anyone," Celebrian said in distress, sitting down on her knees in a gesture of peace. "I know I have hurt you and your twin, and I am sorry. Please forgive me and believe when I say I am not intending to punish your sister."

Elrohir clung tighter to Arwen, and the girl squirmed in discomfort, fussing. Behind Celebrian, Elrond stood biting his lip. Elladan's eyes were scared from beside him. Two babies crawled on the floor beside the couch, the son and daughter of two of the palace inhabitants brought up to play with Arwen.

"Saes," Celebrian said softly.

"We will not hurt you. We will not spank you. I promise."

Elrohir shook his head. They did not understand he did not want to see his sister spanked. They would never understand!

Arwen wriggled free of her brother's tight grip and ran to her mother. Elrohir stared at her before he stumbled to his feet and fled from the room with a sob.

"Elrohir!" Elrond cried, holding out a hand.

"Muindor nin," Elladan choked.

Celebrian lifted the curtain from the window and looked out with a pinched brow. "Elrond, it is growing dark."

"I hope Elrohir has not run outside," Elrond said. His fears were confirmed as Galadriel swept into the room.

"Elrohir rushed past me at the gates and ran into the forest," she said. "It is growing dark and I advise he is found before nightfall."

Elrond nodded. "I will go. Elladan, stay here; eat your dinner."

"I am not hungry," Elladan mumbled.

"Obey your father," Galadriel said sharply.

Elladan's head jerked up at her tone. At the same time Celebrian's cold voice said, "My children do not take orders from you, nana. I will thank you not to speak to them in such a manner again. If anyone speaks to them with your tone, the right belongs to their parents and their parents alone."

The Lady of Light looked as though a cloud of darkness had swept across her, as though someone had slapped her. "You are still my daughter."

"Yes," Celebrian said, taking Elladan's hand, "But I have a life of my own. I am not living under your roof or under your hand. _Goodnight_."

Elladan looked up at Celebrian as she stepped toward the door as if contemplating how safe he would feel with her before he followed. Elrond cast a last look back at Galadriel as she sat down in an armchair with a clouded face before he plunged down the hall.

Harune supplied the elf lord with a lantern and his cloak at the gates. Elrond nodded his thanks and strode into the forest. After living two years in Mirkwood, he knew most of Elrohir's favorite paths and even some of the glades his son fled to when he wanted to weep alone.

A quick search of the closest glades revealed no Elrohir. The light of his lantern flashed off slick rocks and the rough bark of trees as Elrond called his son's name.

The candle in the lantern flickered as he walked and a cool breeze ruffled his cloak. Elrond bit his lip, Elrohir's frightened eyes as he clung to his sister burned into his brain. He knew what Elrohir feared would happen to his sister for not sharing her toys.

Elrond thought of the two babies in the living room. Their parents would be coming to fetch them now. Arwen had played with them for a good two hours before Elladan and Elrohir had come in. Toward the end of the two hours, Arwen's favorite stuffed animal brought from Rivendell with Celebrian had become the center of attention. When one playmate wanted the stuffed animal, Arwen had held onto her squirrel, using it to fend off her playmate. A certain amount of tears followed.

Elrond peered at the shortening candle and realized he must make his way back to the palace soon.

Staring at the golden light falling in a circle around him, Elrohir's horrified face swam into the back of Elrond's head. The moment after Arwen had smacked her playmate with her stuffed toy, his eyes had opened wide. And when Celebrian rose to pick Arwen up, Elrohir had hurled himself on his sister and dragged her away from his mother.

A muffled sob shattered Elrond's sad reflections and he almost tripped over Elrohir. He put down the lantern and knelt down by the elfling. Elrohir raised his tear-stained face from his knees to look at him.

"Are you hurt?" Elrond asked.

Elrohir wiped his nose and sniffed. He shook his head. "N-no. Is-is Arwen alright? Are you going to spank me?"

"I will not spank you and neither will your mother. Arwen is fine, penneth nin. I promise no one hurt her."

Elrohir eyes filled with confused tears. "But I do not understand. She hit Lunai with the squirrel . . . I saw her!"

Elrond sat down and moved beside Elrohir, being careful not to frighten him with sudden movements. "I know. I saw it to. But Arwen will not be spanked."

"I was," Elrohir said in a whisper, leaning against him.

"How will Arwen learn if we punish her for _hitting_ her playmate by _hitting_ her?"

Elrohir's lips trembled. "I was," he repeated.

Elrond hugged him. "I know. And what did you learn?"

"Nothing. Except that it hurt. And—and made us scared."

"Well, we do not want Arwen to be scared."

"Why?" Elrohir demanded. "Because she is a _girl_?"

"No. Celebrian and I are done hurting our children in the name of discipline. We will not spank you even as a last resort. I am sorry you experienced all the pain of our spankings but do you want better for your sister?"

Elrohir looked up at him. "Yes. I want better for me and Elladan to."

"We will not spank you and not your sister, Elrohir. It is all or none. And Celebrian and I want it to be none."

"What—what happened to Arwen for hitting Lunai?" Elrohir quavered.

"Celebrian wanted to remove Arwen briefly to keep a fight from happening, and put the squirrel away for later," Elrond explained.

"No scolding?" Elrohir asked.

"It is much easier to remove the item of conflict, explain to Arwen it is only for her when she is alone, give Arwen a few minutes to calm down and let her keep playing when she is ready," Elrond explained.

Elrohir looked down at the ground, thinking about Elrond's words as if weighing the truth behind them.

"Will you come home?" Elrond asked.

Elrohir nodded. He fidgeted. "Will you carry me?"

"You have to walk at least half ways," Elrond said firmly.

Elrohir scrambled to his feet as Elrond picked up the lantern. He took Elrond's hand and began the walk home. Elrond carried Elrohir to his room and set him down to pick the twigs out of his hair and hand him a nightshirt to replace his muddy robe. After eating the hot dinner Harune brought up on a tray, Elrond tucked Elrohir into bed beside his twin, kissed his sons goodnight, and departed.

Soft golden light in his room showed Celebrian was sitting up waiting for him.

* * *

"We name you for the beautiful night you were born on," Ariel said, looking down at the baby in her lap. "The stars were shining and it seemed gentle wings brought them to us. Welcome to the world, little Nightwing."

The baby grinned at her, his eyes reflecting the stars above. A circle of candles set in the grass burned around her, melting puddles of wax into the ground. Incense floated from two brass bowls and a colorful quilt covered the grass at the base of Summit's Peak. Ariel plumped her pillow and lay back, putting Nightwing between her and Erestor.

"It is not quite an original naming ceremony," she said.

Erestor covered her hand with his. "But I like it just the way it is." He tickled Nightwing's chin and the baby laughed.

Ariel rolled onto her belly. "He will make more noise then ever as he grows."

Erestor shrugged. "I do not mind. He will make less as he keeps growing."

Nightwing cried for food and Ariel picked him up to feed him. "You know, I could hear the twins fighting when they were little. I would hear things breaking. And I could hear what followed next."

Erestor knew what she thought of. "Our son can burn down the house and I will not spank him."

"I know you will not. You do not have to say it."

"But you needed to hear it," Erestor said.

Nightwing was asleep in her arms, still latched to her breast. Ariel looked down at him and smiled. Midnight black fuzz covered his scalp. "I do not think of Nyril when I see our baby boy. I think of us; how you held my hand while he was being born and how you hold him at night so I can sleep. He is not Nyril's son anymore; he is ours. And he always will be."

She leaned down to kiss Nightwing's head and then leaned across to kiss her husband.

* * *

 **I think Elrohir will begin to trust his mother after this, don't you? He has a brave heart wanting to defend his little sister.  
**

 **Much thanks to Evenstar of Hogwarts for inspiring the idea of an elven naming ceremony. Her idea brought to life the ending scene. Thank you!**

 **And to you, readers, I thank you for taking the time to read each new chapter. I love hearing from you; your thoughts and suggestions always contribute to the next chapter of the story.**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas sleeps with Glorfindel.**


	84. I Know My Path

"You have stopped using a crib," Elrond remarked as he saw Arwen asleep on the bed beside her mother.

"Yes," Celebrian said. She removed a leather-bound book from under her pillow as Elrond changed into his nightclothes and came to join her.

"This is the book that inspired much of my thinking on what we had done to our sons," Celebrian said, turning to look at him. "It is the shared sketchbook of the twins. I asked Elladan if I might borrow it for tonight and he agreed."

Elrond sat back against the pillows and opened the book over his knees. Celebrian snuggled against him and rested her head on his shoulder, her braid of hair pulled down to her waist.

"The pictures are not the most joy-inspiring drawings," Celebrian warned as Elrond flipped to the first used page. "And I do want to show you some of the ones I connected with more then the rest."

Elrond looked at the harsh lines of the drawing on the page and bit his lip. Shaded lines encased the sharp image of Elladan turned over his knee. A small puddle of shimmering tears had collected underneath the elfling's dripping face.

Celebrian showed him an image of the twins' room before they moved to a bed. Two cribs were set along opposite walls and through the bars Elladan and Elrohir reached for one another with desperate faces, unable to touch the hands of their doubles.

"I caged them," Celebrian said with a shiver. She pointed to a haiku reading:

This is how I felt

When you put me down to sleep

I was never free.

"Even when we let them sleep together, the bars of the crib might as well be the doors of dungeon cell. I do not want Arwen to feel imprisoned or alone." She glanced at her daughter and warned Elrond, "She has slept with me the entire time you were gone. If you roll onto her at night, you will sleep elsewhere."

Elrond chucked her under the chin. "Vessë nin, I would not crush our daughter beneath me. I promise."

"I take your word seriously," Celebrian assured him. She watched him as Elrond flipped to another page and read the inscription:

Remember the pain.

Remember your elfling years.

Remember spanking?

"Ah, Thranduil and Harune both encouraged me to sit and remember," Elrond said, touching the page. "I tried to think about it, and I remember hating it. I felt angry and tense inside."

Celebrian nodded. "Yes. I remembered as well. But I—I have found the courage to confront my parents. I do not want to turn them away. But I was afraid they would be insulted or offended if I told them I do not like the way they raised me yet I am willing to still be family."

"It is difficult," Elrond agreed, taking a last look at a dark drawing, done with vicious strokes of a pencil. Elrond stood with the strap in his hand over a weeping Elrohir, as he lay helpless on a war torn battlefield. Elladan stood in armor between his father and twin, sword in hand. In the right corner of the page, a haiku floated.

I wish I could be

Your protector, dear brother,

And save you from pain.

Elrond put the book on the bedside table as Arwen blinked and groped for her mother. He reached for the candle.

"I want to burn it when we return home," Celebrian said as she lifted Arwen to her breast and settled back against the plumped pillows behind her.

Elrond blew out the candle and put an arm around her shoulders.

"If we are done spanking them, leaving the strap on the bookcase is without reason and will only serve as a temptation," Celebrian continued. "I want to make a ritual out of it and do it as a family. I hope Elladan and Elrohir will understand."

"They will," Elrond murmured. "But we will not return to Rivendell without their consent. And we have to prove to our sons we can give them real love."

"I will do anything to prove I love them. I will do anything to show them I do not want to lay a hand on them again," Celebrian said, her voice soft. "Is Elrohir alright?"

"Yes; I tucked him in beside Elladan after he ate his dinner and left him. He was a little confused over the incident with Arwen since he remembered too clearly the punishments from his youth."

Celebrian sighed. "Poor elfling. He heard me give Arwen the opening warnings to stop and when I rose to pick her up . . ."

"Yes," Elrond said.

Outside the door of their room, four feet tiptoed past it and up the hall. Elladan and Elrohir rubbed their bleary eyes before opening the door to Thranduil's room and feeling their way through the dark to the elf King's big bed. Elladan pushed gently on Thranduil's shoulder. In his sleep, Thranduil responded to the signal and moved over, rolling onto his back as Elladan and Elrohir burrowed under the blankets and cuddled against him.

No words were spoken. None were needed.

Half asleep, Legolas also left his room in search of his father. He yawned as he walked, almost tripping over his feet. His fingers trailed over the doorknobs of the doors, counting until he reached the right one. His tired mind skipped several numbers but he failed to notice.

Legolas stumbled into the room, vaguely wondering why ada had moved everything in his room and why it seemed so small as he bumped sharp corners and felt for the bed. A sliver of dim moonlight fell on golden hair on the pillow.

Legolas pushed at the figure in the bed and clambered in next to it as the elf shifted with a groan. Ada seemed different tonight . . . his shirt was not the same . . . his hair felt . . . wrong . . .

Legolas let himself drift back to sleep; letting his tired thoughts float away into dreams.

When Glorfindel awoke at dawn, he found Legolas pressed against him, his breaths deep and even. As he stared at the Prince of Mirkwood in amazement, Legolas rolled onto his back and stretched, his elbow poking into Glorfindel.

"Ow!" Glorfindel said.

Legolas sat up with a jerk and gazed at him in bewilderment. A frown crossed his face as he glanced around the room in confusion. "W-what am I doing here?"

"I would very much like to know the same thing," Glorfindel said drily, throwing back the blankets. "What are you doing here?"

"I-I do not know . . . I suppose I must have come into the wrong room last night. I was looking for ada and I felt rather disjointed," Legolas confessed.

Glorfindel grinned. "It would take a lot of muddle-headedness to make you think I was Thranduil."

"I had a feeling you were not ada," Legolas admitted. "But I was too tired to care."

"Legolas!" Thranduil called from the hallway.

Legolas jumped out of bed to answer him. He waved to Glorfindel before he plowed out of the room. Glorfindel smiled again as he heard Thranduil grunt with the impact of Legolas's early morning hug.

* * *

Nightwing was laughing. Erestor looked down at his son as he finished working on the documents before him. The baby lay in nestle of blankets to his left, his toothless lips parted and grinning. He smiled at his son as he rolled up the papers and docketed them.

Ariel came into the room with a hot plate of fried meat and bread in her hands. She put it down on the table to her husband's right. Erestor's desk faced the window, looking out down the hill outside their house. She sat down next to Nightwing and kissed his nose. "Hello, little night. Happy, are you?"

Nightwing waved his arms and his small fist bumped Ariel's nose.

* * *

 **Celebrian and Elrond will finally be together to help their children learn to love and forgive! Seeing their parents with Arwen will be a great help to show the twins their parents' resolve. What do you think?  
**

 **Thank you all so much for reading. I love hearing from you!**

 **Next Chapter: Galadriel witnesses Elrohir break a picture . . .**


	85. I Felt Cold

The atmosphere of the meeting room was cold. Though the sun blazed outside, and the coming air of fall blew, the silence around the table was frigid.

"As I have said," Thranduil said, "There is nothing to discuss."

"There is more than you might think to discuss," Galadriel said. "You have kept the twins here almost three years. And you do not think perhaps you have done something wrong?"

Thranduil leaned back in his seat and burst into peals of laughter. "My dear lady, I know I have done nothing wrong. I assure you, I have done no bullying or mistreating and neither have I held either elfling here against their will. You may ask Elladan and Elrohir."

"I have called this meeting to discuss the events of the past three years," Galadirle said. "And discuss them we will. Now, Thranduil, I am sure you realize how precarious the situation is."

Thranduil raised his eyebrows. "I am afraid, Lady Galadriel, I do not. I admire your loyalty to your daughter and your grim determination to wrench, wrestle, and pry Elladan and Elrohir away from me and return them to their parents in a manner you believe is right, but I am an oak of an old, old line. And I will _not_ break."

"Standing firm to the end is not wise," Celeborn urged. "You know well the inevitable."

Thranduil nodded. "I am not unwise. And I know full well the abilities of your persuasion. After all, I lost my king due to your pushing Mirkwood to enter the last war. But I am not my king. And I will not break to you."

"Oropher was your father," Celeborn said.

Thranduil nodded. "Yes. He _was_ my father. There was little love lost between us. Oropher was a _magnificent_ king but a father of the poorest kind. Without Harune, I would have endured a terrible childhood."

"You cannot blame us for his death," Galadriel said.

"I blame no one," Thranduil answered. "Death comes in the end. It is a matter of how long it takes to reach that end that determines your life."

"Do not preach to us. We have not come here to listen to your family history. We are here to see our grandchildren where they belong."

Thranduil clasped his hands in his lap and grinned, the possible effects of wine showing. "Across you knees and under your hand, no doubt. I think not."

"You are drunk," Galadriel accused, her lips pressed thin.

"I had a few cups after dinner. I cannot think why you insisted we sit down at this ridiculous hour to begin with. I should have been kissing Legolas goodnight and telling him a bedtime story an hour ago."

"We will continue this when you are in a better state of mind. Perhaps you will show more reason."

Thranduil yawned as he rose to his feet. "It is possible. But you might as well know, wine does little to me. Goodnight."

Leaving the dissatisfied lord and lady of Lothlorien behind, Thranduil breezed out of the room.

* * *

"You have no right to hit me," Elrohir said, pressing his back against the wall."

Galadriel faced him with a stern expression. "You disobeyed me and your disobedience resulted in the breaking of a precious piece of art."

"I am sorry; I never meant for the ball to hit the picture, and I will not do it again."

Galadriel seated herself. "I know you will not. You will apologize to Thranduil when he returns. Now come to me for your punishment. You know the consequences of your actions."

Celeborn's arm on his propelled Elrohir forward. The elfling resisted.

"You cannot do this!" Elrohir cried.

"It gives me no joy to do so but I must enforce the consequences and teach you to obey. Do not make this worst, Elrohir. If you make this difficult, I will be forced to punish you further."

Elrohir's voice rose to a high pitch as he howled for help.

"Oh, for the sake of the valar!" Galadriel exclaimed. "Give him to be, Celeborn. Elrohir, stop. You are not a baby."

Celeborn looked at the child struggling against his grip and felt a brief flash of guilt . . . of wrong.

"Perhaps we can resolve this another way," Celeborn suggested, seeing a tear slip down Elrohir's face. Galadriel shook her head and reached for Elrohir, latching onto him as he fought. She pulled the boy toward her and dragged him over her knees.

"This is not right," Celeborn protested, reaching for his wife's hand. Elrohir grabbed two handfuls of Galadriel's golden hair and jerked it. As she cried out, he scrambled off her knees to the floor, stumbled to his feet, and fled for the door.

The door banged open and Elrond charged in to catch Elrohir in his arms, searching him for injuries before he pressed his sobbing son to his chest and glared at Galadriel.

"How dare you?" he said. He knelt in front of Elrohir and took him by the shoulders. "Elrohir, look at me. Go find your mother."

Elrohir shook his head and held onto him, his eyes wide and scared.

"I will take him," Celeborn said.

Elrond pinched his lips, thinking Celeborn would not help his son feel safe but Elrohir dragged his sleeve across his eyes and let Celeborn hold his hand to guide him out of the room.

Elrond rounded on Galadriel as the door closed. "You are forbidden to touch my children, to even be with them, if you cannot resolve your problems—if you cannot discipline with peace and gentleness! If I find you have spanked or tried to spank my children again, and I do not care if they have thrown the crown jewels into the river, I swear I will throttle you!"

Galadriel sat back as if she had been slapped. "A little spanking never hurt a child, Elrond, but guided them in the right direction. Elrohir—"

"I have sworn not to hit my children in the name of love, Galadriel. I do not want to guide them in the 'right direction' using fear and pain when I can use love and gentleness and kindness to show them the right way without having to make them cry. If you cannot understand that, I cannot allow you to be with my children."

Elrond found his son sitting hunched on the bench outside the door, his hands clasped in his lap with Celeborn beside him. He stood up at the sight of his father and dried the tears on his cheeks. Elrond went to him and held him in a warm hug.

"Thank you for protecting me," Elrohir whispered. "Celeborn did not want to—to let her spank me either."

Elrond kissed the top of his son's small head and nodded in gratitude to Celeborn. "I am here to protect you, Elrohir. I know you are not used to it since I have spent years hurting you myself, but I will be here to protect you from now on. I give my word."

* * *

Harune looked at Landion. "It has been five years since we became father and son. I have not seen my daughter or her family in five years since I have put off my regular journey to the Iron Hills to be with you. If I should go to see her this year, would you mind?"

Landion cocked his head. "I . . . do not want to travel so far. I like my home. And I will miss you if you go but I will not mind. You have given me a lot since my mother died; you had no reason to stay here with me."

"I had reason, ion nin," Harune said, gathering Landion in a hug to him. "You were my reason. I could not leave you for a full six months if it meant holes were still bleeding inside you from Lord Katar."

Landion smiled. "No, my holes are sealed up now, ada. You healed them."

"I helped you heal them," Harune corrected, leaning down to kiss Landion's rosy cheek. "I received a letter from my daughter a day ago, asking if I was ready to come see her again. With your permission, I will go. Are you sure you will be alright without me until spring?"

Landion turned in his father's lap and put his arms around Harune's neck. He looked into his eyes and said, "I have a brother, do I not? And does my brother not have experience with children? Does my brother not love me? I know even if you are not here, ada, Thranduil will look after me as well as you do. He cannot give me _everything_ you do but I will be fine with muindor nin. I trust him. Like I trust you."

 _I have raised beautiful children_ , Harune thought, smiling into Landion's sparkling green eyes.

The trees above them swayed in the wind, their leaves speckled with yellow; the approaching colors of fall. The air blew crisper though not yet cold and spoke of winter not far away. The wind sang in the quiet glade, filling the ears of the two elves as they sat on moss under an oak tree, comfortable among its roots.

"I suppose you will leave before winter's snows come," Landion said.

Harune nodded. "Yes. I will leave day after tomorrow and be back after winter's snows melt in the coming of spring."

Landion's eyes were wistful as he thought of the long six months soon to stretch between him and his father. He leaned forward and pressed his head to Harune's chest, sitting still in the secure embrace of Harune's arms.

"I will miss you," he murmured. "But I want you to go, ada. Not because I do not want to be with you but because I want you to be with the rest of your family. I know you love them like you love me, and I know you want to see them like you want to see me."

"I will miss you to, penneth nin," Harune said. "But I will love you all the same."

"I know."

Father and son returned to the palace for dinner as the sun began to set, holding their cloaks shut around them as the wind swirled beneath the folds and tried to run away with the cloth.

Around the table with the wind blowing against the closed windows and steam rising from the bowls of hot soup and fresh slices of bread, Harune told Thranduil of his decision.

Thranduil nodded. "You told me you wanted to go last night; I see Landion is comfortable with letting you leave for half the year. We all know you will come back."

"Six months in the Iron Hills is about all I can take in one sitting," Harune agreed with a laugh. "I know you will take good care of my son for me."

"I will. Galion is taking care of your packing."

"You _are_ sure you can handle everything without me? Even with the difficulties of meetings and the presence of our guests?"

Thranduil assumed an indignant stance. "What _do_ you take me for, ada? You have not raised me for nothing. I assure you I will handle the meetings and our guests with the utmost grace and dignity while you are gone."

"You always worried ada would not be able to manage without you when you went before," Legolas put in. "I remember you made sure he would be able to."

"I cannot believe after all these years there is still doubt!" Thranduil exclaimed. "After all, am I not the last and greatest of all the Elvenkings?"

Harune waved a hand with an amused smile. "I dare say you are. And the valar are mole-rats."

Thranduil frowned and returned to his soup.

Two days later Harune departed with an escort of Mirkwood elite guards to ensure he arrived alive at the Iron Hills. Landion stood on the bridge with the twins, Legolas, and Thranduil and waved goodbye until the trees swallowed Harune.

A few tears came into Landion's eyes and glistened like dew on early spring leaves. He swallowed and swiftly wiped them away, slipping his hand into Thranduil's.

Thranduil looked down at his little brother and placed a hand on his head. "Do not worry, muindor nin, I am here for you. And ada will come back."

"I-I know. He—he is not leaving us like my old father did."

"We will miss him," Thranduil agreed. "And look forward to his return. While he is gone, I promise we will have lots of fun."

Landion looked into his brother's eyes and smiled. "Hannon le; I know we will. But for now . . . I would like to be alone. Just for a little bit . . ."

Thranduil understood as Landion turned his eyes back to the ground. The elf king removed his cloak and draped it around Landion's shoulders. "Return before dinner, muindor nin, and stay warm."

Landion nodded, holding the cloak to him and drifted into the woods.

* * *

 **Harune is off again. And the last time he left, Lord Katar wreaked havoc!  
**

 **I think Elrond has shown a great portrayal of love for his children by protecting Elrohir. What do you say?**

 **I know this update is two days late but a freezing rainstorm knocked out power for two days. It came back late last night. Thank you for your patience in waiting; the next update will be up as usual three days from now, on the 20th. Another thank you to those of you who wrote to ask me if I was alright; I appreciate it so much!**

 **Thank you for reading! I love hearing from you.**

 **And Next Chapter: Elladan makes a hard choice.**


	86. I See Horror

Thranduil watched the elfling go before he shivered and turned to herd Elladan, Elrohir, and Legolas indoors. Elrond and Celebrian, standing on the balcony behind them, returned to the warm living room.

"Does it feel this empty without Harune here?" Elladan asked as he stepped into the warm front hall of the palace.

"Only for a little while," Thranduil replied.

"Will Landion be alright?"

Thranduil nodded. "Yes. Landion knows Harune is not gone forever. Come and I will make us all some hot cocoa."

With the tray of white mugs on the table by Thranduil's chair, the elf king and his guests and family gathered in the family room to drink. Arwen sat on the floor and put the pieces of a wooden puzzle back onto place, covering leaves with trees and dirt with rocks.

"I recommend you and Lord Celeborn return to Lothlorien before winter's snows set in and make travel difficult and dangerous," Thranduil said to Galadriel, sipping his drink.

The steam curled in front of Thranduil's face. Galadriel said, "We are needed here. If we are to see our family united, we cannot leave. It is essential we sit down and discuss this."

Thranduil gestured to Celebrian sitting in her chair with Elrond behind her. "I have spoken with the people with whom the situation concerns directly and we have come to an understanding. We already sat down to discuss this and you know well where I stand. Where the interests of the twins lie, you will not gain what you want until they are ready."

"I thank you for accompanying me on my journey here," Celebrian said quietly. "But I do not need your assistance or your argument to sway Thranduil. I see clearly the wrong we have done to the twins and I wish to see the wrong corrected. Thranduil is helping us do that. Please return to Lothlorien and resume your duties."

Galadriel sat back. "You are becoming more and more reticent."

"Indeed not. I have communicated to you how I felt all those long years ago when you spanked me. If you do not like my feelings, I assume no responsibility. I could not express myself to you as a child for you refused to listen; you saw your way and your way alone. But I tell you now: I am done spanking."

"You will not raise disciplined children with such an attitude. Elladan and Elrohir need a firm hand."

"It need not be a literal one, nana," Celebrian said, her hands folded in her lap. "I will raise wild children rather then bleeding children and you are not one to tell me how to govern my family!"

"I will have Galion pack your things," Thranduil said with a smile. "I am sure your people need you more then you are needed here."

Galadriel stood and picked up the skirts of her white robe. With her head held high, she said, "If I am not wanted here, I will not impose."

"I do want you, nana. And I am sorry you cannot understand my choice."

Galadriel looked at her daughter. "Perhaps one day I will. We will leave tomorrow."

As the Lord and Lady of the Golden Wood swept out of the room, Legolas spoke up, "Ada, may I have their cocoa?"

"Really, Legolas," Thranduil said in mocking disapproval. He looked up as Landion came through the door, his hair damp from early fall showers and handed his little brother a hot cup.

"Hannon le," Landion said, climbing onto Thranduil's lap to drink. "I-I miss ada already and he is not even out of Mirkwood yet."

Thranduil hugged him. "I know, penneth nin. I know what is to let the ones you love go. But you made a brave and kind choice, Landion, from the bottom of your heart."

Landion stared into his cup. "It was not easy. Even after five years of being with him, I still cannot let him go. I- remember when my other father left me and nana. I never forgot. I know ada will come home."

"Of course he will, penneth nin. I have let ada go many times and he always comes home to me. It will be no different for you, I promise."

"Can I sleep with you tonight?" Landion asked in a small voice.

Thranduil kissed the top of his dark head. "It would be my pleasure."

Landion rested his head against Thranduil's chest and let out a small sigh. He let Legolas take his mug, murmuring, "I am not in the mood to drink it right now. You have it while it is hot."

Legolas squeezed his uncle's hand. "I have never let ada go but I can image how you must feel. You are not alone; you have us."

"Six months is a long time too wait for the people you love to come home," Celebrian said. "I waited longer to see my husband again." She held Elrond's hand and smiled.

* * *

Elladan shifted under his blankets, the pale moonlight streaming through the window. He rolled onto his side, unable to sleep, and half rose to snuggle into bed with Thranduil.

He stopped as he remembered Landion needed Thranduil more then he and flopped back down, careful not to wake his twin. He scrunched a pillow under his head as he remembered Celebrian and Elrond had come to tuck him into bed and kiss him goodnight. Even Arwen had volunteered a "'G'nit, El-dan."

Elladan grinned at the memory. His sister had also wacked him in the eye during her attempts to hug him but that did not matter. His eye felt fine now. His smile faded a little in his fear for her. He did not want his sister to experience the pain he and Elrohir had.

Elladan moved onto his stomach. After a moment he slipped out of bed, touched Elrohir's cheek with a smile, and left the room. He stood outside the door to Elrond and Celebrian's room, fighting to find the courage to knock. He faced the wooden slab with uncertainty, not sure he wanted to enter. He stared at it until he shivered in the cool hall and turned the knob.

Elladan plunged into the dark room beyond and made his way to the bed. Arwen lay between his parents, her thumb in her mouth. Elladan could feel his heart racing out of instinctive fear. He reached out and touched Elrond, jerking his hand back as if it burned.

"Mph?" Elrond asked.

Elladan steadied his breathing and gave Elrond a slight nudge on the shoulder. The lord of Rivendell moved over to make room for Elladan on the bed and blinked up at his son.

"M-may I?" Elladan asked, hating the tremble in his voice.

Elrond's hand reached out to take his and draw him closer. "Of course. You are free to come lie down with us when you need to. Come sleep."

Elladan lifted the blanket and flopped down beside his father. Elrond put an arm around him and drew him into a close embrace.

"Where is your brother?" Elrond asked.

"He is sleeping," Elladan answered. He fidgeted. "Um, I-I do not like being held so tight . . ."

Elrond loosened his hold with an apology and reached behind him for an extra pillow. Elladan stuffed the pillow under his head and rolled onto his side, Elrond's arm around his waist. His breathing settled into sleep.

Elrond smiled into the darkness, thinking his sons were coming to trust him more and more. Or at least one of them was. It seemed Elrohir needed a little more time.

* * *

 **Elladan has made, what is to him, a big step. Will Elrohir follow suit?  
**

 **Thank you so much for reading; hearing your comments and thoughts means so much to me!**

 **Next Chapter: Landion meets a nightmare.**


	87. I Am Loved

Elladan lay awake, thinking about Galadriel and Celeborn's departure. They had not gone with joy but his heart knew some peace knowing they would not be here to remind him of things he wished to forget. Elladan knew Elrohir was awake beside him. He rolled over and touched his brother.

"Hmm?" Elrohir asked, turning to meet his eyes.

"Will you come lie down with me and Elrond?" Elladan asked. "I went last night and I liked it."

Elrohir hesitated before he looked away. "No, thank you. You go. I will stay here."

Elladan picked at the threads of his blanket, struggling with himself. He did not want to leave Elrohir but he did want to spend the night with his parents.

"I do not mind," Elrohir assured him. "Saes, go. For me. For us." He grinned. "Besides, I would like the bed to myself tonight."

Elladan slid out of bed and made for the door. "If you are sure."

"I am," his brother said, his voice so confident Elladan could not doubt him.

Elladan made for his parents' room and climbed into the bed beside his father. Elrond shifted and moved over for him, murmuring, "Is Elrohir with you?"

Elladan shook his head as he took his pillow. "No. He would not come with me. Maybe tomorrow night."

* * *

"Will you come with me to lie down with Elrond and Celebrian?" Elladan asked his twin the next night. He stood at the edge of the bed, not hopeful of getting a yes from his twin but willing to try nonetheless.

Elrohir rolled over to look at him and shook his head. "No. You go."

"It is not the same without you," Elladan persisted. "Please come. For me?"

Elrohir turned away from him, his voice muffled by the pillow. "You know, I am happy you can find it in your heart to forgive them for what they did to you but I am still hurt by the actions of the past and I am not ready to—to go with you yet. Please stop asking me."

Elladan could sense the tears choked in Elrohir's voice. He looked toward the door but could not find it in himself to leave his hurting brother. Elladan lifted the blankets and slid down beside his twin. Elrohir reached for him and rested his head on Elladan's chest.

Elladan felt a few tears soak into his shirt and rubbed his brother's back in silence, knowing Elrohir needed no words to calm him.

"I never meant to upset you," Elladan apologized.

Elrohir sniffed. "It is not you, muindor nin. I am sorry if I am upsetting you."

Elladan said nothing; he needed no words. He felt Elrohir shift against him but he was already drifting into sleep.

Several hours later Elrohir yawned and rolled onto his back. He stared up at the ceiling as he stretched his arms, careful not to bump into his twin. His tears and bad memories were long gone, having drifted out the open window. The elfling slid out of bed and went to the door. He looked back at Elladan before he stepped out of the room and made for Elrond's chamber.

Elrohir gave his father a gentle push to ask him to move over. Elrond shifted in his sleep and made room for Elrohir beside him. Under the warm blankets, Elrohir rolled onto his side and slept.

Half an hour later Elrond was awakened by Elladan's urgent whisper. "Is Elrohir with you?"

Elrond touched the elfling beside him and muttered, "Gracious valar above, I thought this was you. Yes, Elrohir is with me."

"He said he was not ready to come sleep with you," Elladan confessed. "But I woke up and found him gone. It looks like he changed his mind. Is there room for me?"

"Not on this side of the bed," Elrond told him. "But Celebrian has a free side I am sure she will lend it to you."

Elrond heard his son move around to his mother's side of the bed. The mattress shifted as Celebrian slid over and Elladan climbed into bed. He smiled in the darkness and put an arm around Elrohir, pulling his son a little closer.

* * *

Elrond awoke with a grunt as Arwen clambered over him. Elrohir's eyes jerked into focus as his sister's elbow rammed into his stomach. Arwen slid down to the floor; her mission accomplished and made for her toys stacked against the wall.

"Ow," Elrohir complained. His eyes met Elrond and his fell silent.

Elrond touched his cheek. "You never woke me up in such a manner. Not once."

Elrohir looked away. "It is kind of hard to climb over someone when they are separated by the bars of a crib and a solid wall."

Elrond hugged him. "I know. I am sorry you missed digging your knee and elbow into me so many times. You could start now?"

Elrohir twisted to look at him and a slow smile spread across his face, lighting up the room and Elrond's heart. "No, hannon le. I do not want to start now. I think Arwen will do it all for me."

Elrond brushed a strand of hair off Elrohir's face. "I love you, ion nin."

"I want to love you back. But I cannot. Not yet."

"Are my tests not yet over?" Elrond demanded with a groan.

"Thank you for letting me sleep with you," Elrohir answered. "I enjoyed it."

"You are free to come to come join me any night you like," Elrond answered. "I enjoyed it to. You do not have to thank me; I am here for you when you need me. It is what parents are for."

Elrohir looked down. "Are parents also for spanking children?"

"I used to think they were. My parents spanked me and you know Galadriel and Celeborn spanked your mother. I used to think it was the right thing to do. But I realize I have told myself that for centuries now and it is not true. Parents are here to love you, Elrohir, and it is their soul mission to keep themselves from twisting their love into something bad. To love is not to spank."

Elrohir met his father's eyes. "No, it is not. But I do not think their soul mission is to keep themselves from twisting their love into something bad."

"You are right. Their first responsibility is to love and care for their children." As Arwen climbed back over the two of them, Elrond added, "No matter how frustrating they are at times."

Elrohir smiled. "I agree with you there. I-I slept badly last night and I am not ready to greet the day yet. Do you mind if I sleep a little longer?"

Elrond shook his head as he lifted the blankets. "No. You need your rest."

"Will you hold me?" Elrohir asked in a small voice, as if he were ashamed to ask.

Elrond let the blankets fall and flopped back down against his pillows. "Of course I will hold you, ion nin; you need not be ashamed to ask. I am your father; I am here when you need me."

Elrohir reached for him and snuggled into Elrond's embrace, warm and sleepy against his father's side. Elrond rubbed Elrohir's back with a soft smile, his heart singing with joy his second son had come back to him.

* * *

Landion sat on Thranduil's lap, watching the snow falling outside the window. Arwen played around the base of the chair while Elladan and Elrohir sat on the couch and concentrated on the shared pages of their drawing pad, chewing on the ends of their pencil.

Thranduil turned the last page of his book and moved his arm as Landion slid off his lap. "Where are you going, muindor nin?"

"For a walk," Landion said. He grinned. "Do not worry, I will wrap myself up in my cloak and I will be back in an hour, no more."

"Do not wander too far," Thranduil called after him.

Landion left behind the quiet room and collected his fur-lined cloak. Wrapping the thick folds around him, he pulled up the hood and stepped out into the crisp autumn air. The forest was already beginning to blaze with color, hints of red and gold and orange showing in the leaves of the trees as the wind whipped them back and forth on their branches.

Landion followed the path along the river, his hands buried in his pockets. He walked until the path ended and the river plunged into a waterfall. Cold, foaming water pooled around the rocks at the bottom as the river snaked on toward Laketown and the Lonely Mountain. And beyond that, were the Iron Hills. And ada.

Landion stood on the last bit of land and looked out as he had for the past few weeks, his heart missing his father. Perhaps he should have gone with him. But he loved his home; he was not ready to leave it even for a little while.

But how he missed ada.

Landion sighed and poked at the mud with the toe of his boot, the wind blowing his hair. He could smell rain in the air. The wind would blow storm clouds overhead soon and the river would boil grey with the floods.

Landion turned his eyes back out toward Laketown. He blew a kiss, hoping the wind would carry it to Harune, and turned to retrace his steps back to the palace. Perhaps one of the kitchen maids would feel nice today and let him have a buttered bun.

Landion spun around at the thought, eager for the hot, fresh bread. His foot slipped on the mud and he toppled back with a shriek, over the edge of the waterfall. His fingers grasped for anything to slow his fall but his hands scraped away dirt.

Landion squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see the sharp rocks below before he hit them. All he could think of was Harune's face when he returned home and found his son dead.

A hand closed over his wrist and Landion jerked to a halt. The elfling looked up to see his savior. His green eyes opened wide and he tried to jerk his hand free, willing to take the rocks over the nightmare above him.

Landion screamed long and loud and clear.

The elf pulled Landion to solid ground and set him on his feet.

"How can you be here?" Landion cried. "You left!"

The elf reached to touch his cheek. "How I have missed you, my little one. Come, I have come to take you home."

Landion jerked back and ran. He tripped and stumbled as he ran, his heart hammering in his chest as he fled back to the palace, seeking to be safe and secure in Thranduil's arms. He could hear footsteps behind him.

Landion ran in at back door of the kitchens and fled past startled maids, his feet heavy as he pounded up the stairs and sprinted through the halls. Tears sprang into his eyes, as he could not find Thranduil in the living room. Breathless and desperate he stumbled toward the throne, hoping to find his brother there.

"Landion!" Thranduil cried, starting up from his great chair as his brother came into view.

Landion held out his arms as he dragged himself up the last step. "Muindor nin, help me." He crumpled to the floor in a heap at Thranduil's feet and sobbed.

Hyrondal strode to bow to his king as Thranduil picked Landion up and walked in swift circles to sooth the elfling at the base of his throne.

"My lord," The Captain of the Guard said with a quick bow. "An elf demands to see you. If I am beyond my rights in bringing him to see you now, I apologize." He moved aside as an elf stepped past him.

"No," Landion moaned. "No."

"My lord," the elf said, placing his palms together as he bowed. "My name is Vandril and I am Landion's father."

* * *

 **Elrohir has opened his heart! But who is this elf calling himself Landion's father?  
**

 **I am so sorry the update came a day late; it slipped my mind yesterday and I still cannot fathom how! I hope you enjoyed today's chapter! And, though it is a day late, Happy Thanksgiving!  
**

 **Thank you so much for reading. I love hearing your thoughts at the end of each chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Galadriel and Celeborn find themselves in a blizzard!**


	88. I Am Curious

The Mirkwood archer drew his horse to a halt and turned in his saddle to look back the fur-clad elves behind him.

"My lord and lady, a blizzard is approaching and dark falls. We will stay at the Spirit Inn until it passes."

"Nothing would suit me better," Celeborn sighed. "I will be glad of a warm hearth."

In the cold dusk, the horses stopped at a low building. A fur clad elf emerged with a breath of warm air smelling of horse to take the animals to shelter as a frigid wind blew.

"Take our bags inside," Galadriel said though her veil as the Mirkwood archer opened the back door of the Inn and let them inside. Golden light lit a large center room with two fires blazing at opposite walls. Six birds spitted over one fire sizzled and gave the air a pleasant aroma.

A woman looked up with a young boy on her knee from a plush chair to the left of the cooking hearth and set him down on the floor. She rose and came to greet the guests as the elves shed their snowy robes.

"I am Nyala," she said as a young elf woman emerged to take the coats of the guests and hang them on hooks near the hearth to dry. "Welcome to Spirit's Inn. My husband and sons will take your bags up to your rooms. I assume you will be staying with us until the blizzards passes?"

"It brings me no joy to stay in Mirkwood as I am not wanted but yes," Galadriel answered, her voice as snapping and cold as the air outside.

Nyala gave her a curious look but said nothing. "Please, make yourself at home. Dinner will be served in half an hour."

Celeborn rubbed his hands together before the hearth and let the fire warm them. He thought about the two-day ride from the palace. The wide room was heated well by the two hearths. A long counter ran the length of the room to the right of Celeborn, with a door behind it leading into what Celeborn guessed to be the kitchens. A door opposite the kitchens was cracked to reveal stairs behind it. two comfortable chairs and a long sofa sat in front of the hearth not used for cooking while half a dozen chairs were arranged around the fire over which the birds sizzled. Two green rugs woven with dragons covered the floor in the center of the room and by the stairs. A door beside the fireplace was closed. Another door opposite the one he had entered by led to the front yard.

Three boys broke into the room through the front door, one with blood streaming down his face, one yelling, and the third silent. "Nana! Nana! Arim punched Lukel in the nose and made it bleed!"

Arim retired to stand in the corner with his head down as Nyala whipped out a handkerchief for Lukel's nose and led him into the kitchen.

Galadriel frowned at Arim. A tall elf entered the room from the kitchens still in hi snowy cloak, nodded to the guests, and crossed to face Arim. He took the boy by the hand and led him from the room. A door opposite the kitchen door opened onto a flight of stairs. Celeborn noticed the boy cringe as he slumped ahead of his father.

Lukel emerged with a clean face to sit in one of the chairs by the cooking fire. He stared hard at the guests. The Mirkwood archer was nowhere to be seen.

Arim emerged with his father behind him and his eyes still down. He looked at his father, received a stern glance, and slumped to face Lukel.

"I am sorry I hit you," he muttered.

"I guess I should not have teased you. I am sorry to."

Arim looked at his father. The elf smiled as he took off his cloak and hung it on a hook. Galadriel looked a little startled as she saw the green streaks in his hair, cut to fall over the left of his head and leave the right side bare.

"Dinner is served," Nyala said, leaving the kitchen with a dish in her hands, streaming with the smells of onions and meat. A flood of six children erupted behind her.

Nyala led the way into a large dining room, through the door beside the hearth, lit by a fireplace sharing the chimney of the one behind it. Candles lit the long table of dark wood covered in a white cloth.

"Are you native to Mirkwood?" Nyala asked as the meal began.

"We are the Lord and Lady of Lothlorien," Galadriel replied.

Nyala dipped her head. "It is an honor to meet you. This is my husband, Ajantys, and our children: Elsel, Calib, Anela, Violai, Dyana, Lukel, Josiah, and Arim. And, of course, this is Eleryn, our future son to be."

Galadriel's eye fell on the Mirkwood archer beside Elsel, almost accusing him for dragging her into his personal life for the sake of seeing his future wife.

"This really is an Inn," Eleryn objected. "This place is so big, Nyala and Ajantys decided to put the rooms to use."

You do not look as if you have had eight children, Galadriel thought, looking at Nyala. She almost jumped, as Nyala seemed to read her thoughts.

Nyala smiled. "Five of them are adopted. With the orcs in the forest at times, unexpected tragedies leave some in need of homes."

Elsel escorted Galadriel and Celeborn up to their bedroom at the close of dinner. A green bedspread of silk covered the large bed and white curtains covered the two windows in the room.

"Are you coming to bed?" Galadriel asked as she removed her nightgown from one of her bags.

Celeborn paused at the door. "I feel a bit restless. I think I will wait a bit so as not to disturb you later with my tossing and turning."

"Unconventional sort of place," Galadriel remarked. "I cannot say I like it as much as traditional Inns. My only comfort is at least Ajantys knows how to discipline his unruly bunch."

Celeborn left her and wandered down the hall, hearing a door shut and Elsel giggling. He passed the stairs leading down and the floor opened up into a wide room at the end of the hall. The stone chimney running up to the roof heated the comfortable space. A low bed in one corner was covered with a red quilt and he wondered if this was a bedroom. A bookcase, several chairs, and a tall stand covered in glass ornaments seemed to say otherwise.

"I am sorry I hit Lukel," a small voice said from the bed.

Celeborn stepped away, not wanting to eavesdrop, but he could not help listening, half tempted to see for himself if the boy had been spanked.

Ajantys sat up on the bed and put a hand on the curled up form beside him. "I know you are. You have only been here a little while and we do not expect you to grow used to it at once."

Arim moved closer to his father. "I tried to stop myself. You have all shown me how to be kind and gentle and I know you are even when you are angry and you have to punish me but—I could not be gentle. I did what my parents did to me when I made them mad. I hit him."

Ajantys sat the boy in his lap. "I know you are struggling. If I had suffered the pain you did, I would to. But we are all here to help you."

Arim rested his head on Ajantys's shoulder. "I like the Circle of Safety."

"Do you feel safe now?"

Arim nodded and Ajantys picked his son up. "Then come and I will tuck you into bed beside Calib."

"He does not tease me."

"Well, he has been here a lot longer then you and has adapted to this life. You and Lukel and Josiah came to live with us around the same time. You will grow use to it to, I promise."

Celeborn stepped aside as Ajantys passed him in the hall. He came back minutes later with his arms empty.

"Circle of Safety?" Celeborn asked.

Ajantys grinned and gestured toward the stairs. The two descended to sit in front of the hearth. "Yes. Calib came from a home where he was not loved and it was hard for him to grow used to _being_ loved. He felt vulnerable and afraid. So Nyala and I created the Circle of Safety. When he felt threatened or overworked or he needed to be alone, he could go to the Circle of Safety and be on his own. No one was allowed to bother him or talk to him or ask him to do anything while he was there. It helped."

"And the rest of your adopted children?"

"Anela was working for us in the kitchens when her parents died so we arranged for her to stay here. She never had a need for the Circle unless she felt overworked. Josiah and Lukel are brothers whose parents spanked them. And Arim was abused. Not as badly as Prince Legolas, on a scale of things, but badly enough he has nightmares and he is having a lot of trouble growing used to a normal life. I hate it when he cringes in front of me," Ajantys said, almost to himself.

"Do you spank him?"

"I saw the look in your wife's eyes when I led Arim upstairs after he hit Lukel but all I did was talk . . . and I do not treat him differently because he was abused. I do not spank any of my children."

"We have heard quite a bit of what has occupied the palace for the last few years," Nyala said, joining her husband. "But we do not judge you for your view on child discipline. You may speak freely here."

Ajantys lit his pipe. Celeborn clasped his hands in his lap. "My daughter and her family are changing their views on child discipline. It is difficult for my wife to accept change after years of living by one belief."

"It is easier to talk to strangers about troubles then family," Nyala said.

"Were you spanked?" Celeborn asked.

Nyala shook her head. Ajantys answered, "I was. But one night when my father was spanking me for breaking a window, I fell and split my head open trying to wriggle off his lap. I wear my hair like this to cover the scar. After I recovered, my father apologized for the past and he never spanked my siblings or me again. It was not easy for him to let go of his most potent threat but he did it for us because he saw in the blood of my near death the harm he was doing."

"Does it work?" Celeborn asked.

Nyala raised her eyebrows. "What?"

"Not spanking."

"Of course it works. It was the hardest thing in the world for Josiah and Lukel to accept we would not spank them. The boys spent their first day with us pushing to see how far they could go before they _were_ spanked."

"They broke every window in the house," Ajantys said, leaning back with a twinkle in his eyes. "I spent the afternoon chasing them around the house until I cornered them upstairs and Lukel punched me in the eye. I spent another hour with cold meat on my eye while the boys sat in their room. When Nyala called them down . . . Lukel came and lay across my knees. It broke my heart."

"Galadriel and I were with our daughter in Rivendell after Elrond left for Mirkwood. We saw her choose not to spank Arwen; she defended her from my wife. It did not seem like a struggle for her to lay aside the form of punishment she is most used to but Elrond's letters from Mirkwood to her were full of frustration. I do not want to see Celebrian struggle for the rest of her life to keep two wild boys in hand."

"We parents want the best for our children," Ajantys said. "But what most people do not understand is children do not have to be kept in hand or under law. It is best to let them be free. Children appreciate freedom. And when it is given to them they do not feel as if they have to fight to be let out of their cage."

Celeborn thought of Galadriel trying to spank Elrohir for breaking the frame of a painting at the palace. He remembered the held-back tears and fear in the boy's eyes as he fought like an animal to escape.

"Some children do not fight," Ajantys said. "Lukel and Josiah never ran from their father when he came to spank them. They said they used to but when he caught them, the punishment was worst so they stopped. Fear works differently on children. It made me fight and it made Lukel and Josiah cower."

"Elladan and Elrohir fought," Celeborn said. "But, tell me, how much does the whole of Mirkwood know about what goes in the palace?"

"King Thranduil is an open King," Nyala said. "He does not try to bury undesirable moments under rocks but rather lets them be. Because we know and hear of clashes between him and Prince Legolas and of every disastrous meeting, he is more relatable. He is a King, yes, but he is also another elven being who has a child and a family. It is as Prince Legolas said at Tarnin Austa; we are all family."

"This is the first time I have seen a Kingdom so open and yet so close," Celeborn admitted.

Josiah came into the room, rubbing his eyes and complaining, "Elsel and Eleryn have shut themselves into their room and they are making so much racket no one can sleep."

"Knock on her door and tell her to be quiet," Ajantys said.

Josiah turned red. "No one wants to. The noises make everyone cringe. It is sort of like they are kissing and—"

Nyala looked at her husband and waggled her eyebrows as Ajantys coughed and put out his pipe. He herded Josiah back to the stairs. "I will send your sister out to the barn."

"The barn?" Celeborn said.

Nyala nodded. "There is a room in the upper level heated by the stovepipe from the woodstove we use to keep the animals warm. We do not mind if Elsel and Eleryn want to have some fun but not in the children's hearing. As you can see, Josiah already wants to die."

Elsel and Eleryn exploded off the stairs, hand in hand and giggling to make their way across the floor and plunge into the kitchen. Ajantys returned to his seat holding Josiah.

"Lukel is pinching him," Ajantys explained. "And he refuses to sleep in Elsel's bed after hearing what went on in there."

Nyala chuckled. "You can sleep on the sofa, Josiah. Take a blanket from Lukel."

"But I do not want to."

"Well, you cannot sleep with us. I have had a long day and you kick at night. I know you do not mean to but I need my bed with only two people in it tonight."

"I do not see why Lukel has to pinch me," Josiah complained.

Nyala yawned and rose from her chair. "Come up with me, Josiah."

Celeborn followed her, the warm heat of the fire still on his face making him drowsy. He stopped to listen as Nyala plunged into Lukel's room and routed him out of bed.

"You will sleep in Elsel's bed tonight, young elf."

"No-oo!" Lukel protested.

"Will you stop pinching your brother if I let you stay here?"

"I hate it when he tries to hug me."

Celeborn heard the bed creak. Nyala asked, "Do you like it when I hug you?"

"Yes," Lukel said.

"What is wrong with your brother wanting to hug you at night? You make him feel safe, Lukel. He is scared of the dark. You protected him from your old father in the past."

"Only because he hit less hard when he spanked me first," Lukel said in a small voice.

"How would you feel if you needed me to hold you and I said no? Ajantys and I hold you all when you need us. Can you not hold your brother for one night when he needs you?"

A long silence followed. Finally Lukel said, "I am sorry I pinched you, Josiah. I will not do it again."

Nyala closed the door as the brothers burrowed into bed. She said goodnight to Celeborn. Humming a tune, she descended the stairs.

* * *

 **Celeborn's thoughts may be gentle but they are still clashing, and he always was a slow thinker to me. What do you think he will learn in Spirit's Inn?**

 **Can you believe I almost forgot (again!) to update today? But I am here and I hope you enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Thank you so much for reading; as always I cannot wait to here from you!**

 **Next Chapter: Celeborn makes a choice his wife disagrees with . . .  
**


	89. I Made My Choice

"You are a cheat!" Arim accused. "I saw you steal money from the treasury!"

Galadriel turned in her chair to look at the boys lying at opposite ends of the wooden board on the floor. Lukel glared at his brother.

"You are liar if I ever saw one! I am not a cheat!"

"I saw you!" Arim spat. His hand across the board sent the pieces scattering.

Nyala and Ajantys both came from the kitchen to see what the shouting was about.

"He stole money!" Arim cried.

"He is lying," Lukel scoffed.

"You will both have a chance to tell your side of the story and then we will see who is telling the truth," Nyala said. "Come with me into the kitchen, please, Lukel."

Lukel shot Arim and smug glance as he followed his mother. Ajantys looked at Arim. "Well?"

"I saw Lukel snatch a handful of coins from the Treasury," Arim said. "He shoved them under the board."

Nyala and Lukel returned from the kitchen, Lukel with his arms folded. Nyala shook her head. "There is nothing on him."

"You both have one more chance to tell the truth," Ajantys said.

"I am telling the truth!" Lukel and Arim chorused.

Ajantys knelt and lifted the wooden board off the floor. In the space between the floor and a board, a dozen wooden coins resided. He looked up silently at Lukel as the boy turned red and fidgeted.

"I knew it!" Arim cried.

Ajantys sighed and sat back on his heels. "Arim, pick up the pieces from the game you have scattered. Lukel, go to the barn and shovel out the stalls. And when you are done, you will join Arim upstairs in the Circle of Safety where you will stay together to work out your differences until I tell you to leave."

"But I do not want to be with him!" Lukel cried. "You cannot make me."

"If you cannot stay in the Circle of Safety of your own will, I will lock you into the feed room for an hour. Of the two, I am certain the Circle of Safety will be a lot warmer and a lot more comfortable."

Lukel clenched his hands at his side as he left the room. Arim collected the pieces of Treasury and retreated upstairs. Ajantys looked at his wife. "I am going out to see Lukel."

Galadriel tipped her head. Celeborn knew what her thoughts were; knew she could almost follow Ajantys to the barn to watch what she thought would happen. He knew she was wrong.

Eleryn walked out of the kitchen to hang his cloak on a hook and sprawl onto the couch beside Josiah. "It is still raging outside; I do not think it will be over for a few more days at least."

Josiah put his book on Eleryn's lap. "Read to me?"

Celeborn left his chair to creep upstairs. For the first time in his life he wanted to see the results of Nyala and Ajantys's actions; he wanted to see if it worked. For the first time in his life, he wanted the blizzard to end so he could apologize to Celebrian for what he had done to her as a child. He almost wanted to cut off his hands.

Lukel joined his brother half an hour later, his arms folded in annoyance. He plunked himself onto the bed and scowled at Arim's sniffling. Celeborn watched from the doorway.

"Stop crying," Lukel said.

Arim turned over and hid his face under a pillow, burrowing under the blankets in a feeble attempt to mask his sobs. Lukel rolled onto his side and jammed his head under his arm, looking toward the door with thoughts of escape in his eyes. He turned onto his belly with a sigh and glared at Arim again.

"You are making this miserable for both of us," he said.

"I do not care. You always pick on me because I am small and you cheated. I do not want to be with you and I hate you."

"You ought to be taken to the barn and whipped," Lukel said irritably.

Arim stiffened and fell into silence. His breathing settled and slowed into sniffling breaths. Celeborn turned to go but stopped as Arim whimpered and began to cry under his blankets.

"No, please do not. I am sorry, I am sorry!"

Lukel turned over with a grumble but stopped at the hunched form under the blankets. He could almost see invisible fists hitting Arim and his face softened into sympathy. Lukel scooted over and hesitantly touched Arim's shoulder, receiving no response as he shook him. After a moment, he wrestled out of the tangled blankets and put his arms around Arim, his brother's rising sobs faltering against Lukel's neck at the embrace.

Celeborn left as Eleryn thumped up the stairs, muttering, "Lukel, I swear if you are hitting your brother again . . ."

The Lord of Lorien walked to the window at the opposite end of the hall and looked out. The last swishes of snow died against the windowpanes to reveal deep drifts of snow glittering in cold sunlight. The window looked out over the barn and four forms exploded out of it to fling themselves into the snow.

"We will leave tomorrow," Eleryn said, joining Celeborn at the window. "Excuse me while I smear snow in Josiah's face."

"Wait," Celeborn said. "I do not want to continue to the border. Take us back to the palace and never mind what my wife says."

Eleryn saluted as he walked backward to the stairs. Celeborn found Ajantys and Nyala in front of the fire with Galadriel and a tray of cookies.

"We have the house to ourselves," Nyala said, waving for Celeborn to join them. "Eleryn—"

"All is well in the Circle of Safety," Eleryn assured her, whirling out the door after Elsel.

"You will leave tomorrow?" Nyala asked.

"And not a moment too soon," Galadriel said. "My visit to Mirkwood has been fascinating but I am ready for home."

Celeborn let out a breath. "We will be returning to the palace. I cannot leave without apologizing to our daughter."

Galadriel stared at him. "Apologizing for _what_?"

"For how I treated her as a child. I want her to know I support her decision to be gentle with her children and that I love her more then I ever showed her."

"Are you mad? We raised our daughter well. One does not apologize for disciplining."

"You do not apologize for _spanking_ her. I will because I see there is a better way, one I wish I could have used when our daughter was still a child and one I wish I had used when our grandsons misbehaved. And I will not turn my back and walk away until I have spoken to her. You may go on but Eleryn is taking me back to the palace."

Lukel and Arim tumbled down the stairs, rubbing sleep from their eyes and reaching for cookies. Nyala looked at them severely. "Have you resolved your problems?"

Arim looked at his brother and grinned. "Yes. And we are about to resolve them even further out in the snow."

"I am almost saddened I no longer have the chance to be gentle with a child," Celeborn said as Lukel slammed the door behind him.

"Oh, there is always a child who will love you," Nyala said. "I cannot have any more babies but that did not stop me from having more children."

* * *

Ariel yawned, rocking gently in her chair with Nightwing on her breast. The room swam into focus as she blinked awake, wondering how long she had slept and if Erestor was home yet. The hot smell of frying meat answered her queries.

Nightwing wiggled and she took her arm off his back, sitting him up on her knee. His jet black hair grew in length every day and his grey eyes laughed at her. He wriggled more and Ariel put him down to let him squirm over the living room floor as she stepped into the kitchen to find Erestor with a pencil between his teeth, paper in one hand, and tongs in the other.

"Well, if you are not a fine multi-tasker," she sad as she kissed his cheek and went to cut the lettuce for salad.

"Hello, love," Erestor said, between the pencil.

Nightwing crawled through the door and squealed at the sight of his father, moving toward him as fast as he could come. Erestor clattered tongs, pencil, and paper to the nearest clear surface and scooped Nightwing into his arms to toss him, smiling as Nightwing yelled with laughter. "Da! Da!"

"Meat is done," Erestor said, jimmying the pan off the stove with Nightwing on his hip.

"You run to the living room and play with him," Ariel said, giving him a push. "You have been gone all day, and he missed you."

Erestor kissed his son's cheek as Nightwing leaned over his arm to grab at the lettuce leaves. "I am sorry he cries every time I leave."

"He knew you would come back," Ariel said. "We sat outside and 'waited' for you to come home after you went. Now then, run along while I finish dinner."

* * *

 **Celeborn has learned something on gentle parenting, it would seem, and is ready to act upon his decision. Will he be forgiven?**

 **Thank you all so much for reading. I love hearing from you and thinking upon your thoughts to help me through the next chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Vandril demands Landion . . .**


	90. I Am Torn

Thranduil stared at Vandril. Landion sobbed into his shoulder, clutching at his brother. As Elrond stepped onto the throne platform, Thranduil put Landion into his arms, knowing he needed to have full connection of his abilities to handle the situation.

"I will come back to you, muindor nin," Thranduil promised as Elrond carred Landion away. He faced Vandril. "I was not aware you still lived."

"I disappeared many years ago," Vandril answered. "But I am back now and I am interested in reclaiming my son. I am grateful Landion has been given a home here in the palace as a ward but he is my child and I would like him to come live with me."

" . . . That is not correct," Thranduil said, understanding why Landion had held onto him with such desperation. "Landion is not a ward of the palace. He is my brother. He was adopted after his mother and aunt died by my father almost five years ago."

One of Vandril's black eyebrows rose. His yellow eyes flickered before he waved a hand. "It is of little importance. You know as well as I before an elfling can be adopted, all his family members must be notified and given the chance to look after the boy. Since I was not notified, I have the option of making my choice now. And I would like my son back. My lord."

Thranduil stopped himself from closing his eyes. "I will see what can be done. My father is not here right now."

"Your father need not come into this. Because I would have taken my son to live with me after his mother and aunt died, if I had been informed, your father would not have had the opportunity to adopt Landion."

Thranduil clasped his hands behind his back. "I am sorry if I cannot simply hand Landion over to you. These matters are not so simple. I know how you must feel and I understand you want to be with your child. But I am not sure Landion wants to be with you."

"What Landion wants is my concern. With all due respect, my lord, I would appreciate it if you could clear up whatever small matters you have and return my child to me. I will be waiting."

Vandril bowed and turned on his heel. He strode away. As he vanished, Thranduil sat down on the stairs and buried his face in his hands. "Valar, help me. Where are you when I need you, ada?"

When Thranduil entered the living room, he found Landion holding tight to Legolas as if he feared everyone he cared about would be taken from him. Legolas looked up from his seat on the couch with anxious eyes.

"Is—is he gone?" Landion asked.

"Yes," Thranduil answered. "But he will be back. He wants to—to take you back."

"No," Landion whimpered. "He cannot."

Thranduil smiled and took Legolas's place, not wanting to tell the elfling Vandril could reclaim his son. Landion buried his face in Thranduil's shirt and closed his eyes.

"I-I thought he had gone," Landion said. "He left. He walked out of my life _years_ ago. Why come back now?"

"I do not know, Landion. But I give you my word I will do everything to make sure you stay with the people who love you with all their hearts."

"I wish ada were here," Landion murmured.

Thranduil found he possessed not the heart to tell his little brother he wished ada were here to. He leaned his head back against the couch, his chin tilted back, unwilling to admit to himself there was little he could do to defend Landion from Vandril. His pretense to power had been a mere excuse to gain time.

* * *

Thranduil paced the living room floor, his hands clenching at his robe.

"Is there nothing you can do?" Glorfindel asked. "There has to be something."

"I am king," Thranduil said. "My word would be final. One snap of my fingers and Vandril could be gone from our lives. But if I pass such a ruling now, I will have to do it again in the future. And what if, in the future, I am forced to pass a ruling in which an abused child is taken from a loving home and given back to the person who hurt him?"

"You cannot think of the future now," Elrond insisted. "You have to think of your family and what is best for you."

Celebrian put her hand on his with a frown. "I see what Thranduil means. If Thranduil refuses Landion to his father, it will be difficult to take a different path in the future. If a child has been adopted by someone who hurts him and the people who love him cannot reclaim him . . ."

"It is a trap," Thranduil said. "And I cannot find the way out. I cannot let Vandril take Landion but neither can I stop him without digging myself into a hole that could force me, in the future, to have to let children stay with people who hurt them. I cannot do that. I am a king; the _father_ to all my _people_. I cannot think of my own _family_ and not think of _them_."

Elrond leaned back in his chair. "If I were on your place, I would say the final word and keep Landion on the grounds of he has already been adopted."

"But Vandril is right. We neglected to notify him when Landion's mother and aunt died. He does get his say now. And since he wants Landion, Harune would never have had the opportunity to adopt him," Thranduil said.

"You neglected not to notify Vandril," Glorfindel said. "From what I understand, you thought he was dead."

Thranduil rubbed his temples. "Yes."

"You are king, Thranduil. Keep your brother. Vandril's protests are useless against your final word," Elrond urged.

Celebrian turned reproachful eyes on him. "And what will Thranduil do in the future if, for example's sake, let us say . . . Arian lived with a mother and father who loved her? What will he do if the mother dies, the father is believed dead, and Arian is adopted into an abusive home? What will Thranduil be forced to say because he said it once if Arian's father returns and wants her back? He will have to let Arian's abusive parents keep her."

"Oh, for the sake of the valar, this is a matter concerning your family, not future tragedies!" Elrond snapped.

"It would rip my heart out if I had to leave a child with people who hurt her because I wanted to keep my brother," Thranduil said softly. "I do not think Vandril is an abusive person."

Thranduil sank down on the sofa and buried his face in his hands. "But I cannot let Landion go . . ."

"Ada?"

Thranduil looked up. "Legolas, go back to bed. It is late and you should be sleeping."

"I cannot sleep. I can feel your sorrow and grief in my heart," Legolas said, stepping into the room. "I tried to sleep but the feeling grew stronger and stronger. Will you come to bed now?"

"I cannot, Legolas. Vandril will return tomorrow and I have to decide what to do."

Legolas's face fell. "Harune is right. The moment he leaves, the whole kingdom falls into a wreck."

"He has not even been gone a two months," Thranduil said.

"No, but I know you need him and so does Landion. I know he cannot come home fast enough even if you called him back to help you resolve the problem with Vandril," Legolas said sympathetically.

"Celebrian?" Elladan appeared at the door, yawning. "Arwen woke up and she is crying. She will not let us pick her up; she wants you. And Elrohir kicked me."

Celebrian rose and hurried to comfort her daughter. Elrond frowned. "Elrohir kicked you?"

Elladan looked critical. "Will you spank him?"

"Elladan, you know well I am done laying my hand on my children in the name of discipline," Elrond said. He put a hand on Elladan's shoulder. "But I do not appreciate being lied to; I know Elrohir would never kick you."

"But if he did," Elladan insisted.

"I might have to separate you for a night. But even if he kicked you a dozen times, I would not spank him. Now come let me tuck you into bed with your twin. And if you make a habit of lying to me, I will send you to learn half a dozen poems to recite to me in the morning."

"I like you better like this," Elladan said as he followed Elrond out of the room.

Legolas looked at his father with hopeful eyes. "Please come to bed, ada. Landion is waiting."

Thranduil rose to his feet. "I will hope holding you will help me sleep, little leaf. Come, I need some pleasant dreams to settle the turmoil in my heart."

Outside the door, Landion crouched in the shadows until Thranduil and Legolas were past. He had heard every word uttered in the living room between Thranduil, Elrond, Glorfindel, and Celebrian, and he knew Thranduil could do little to protect him. He could not ask his brother to make a decision and keep him safe but subject other elflings in the future to harmful homes, even for his own happiness.

Landion would not go back to Vandril if his life depended on it. The elfling knew he would have to take himself somewhere where he would be alone. Alone so Thranduil would not have to make a decision possibly harmful to the future. Alone so Vandril could not take him back. Alone until ada returned and could help him . . .

Landion gathered a few essential belongings, including his cloak, bow and arrows, and a framed drawing of him and ada the twins had drawn for him. The elfling left the palace, the cold wind turning his cheeks red as he bowed his head and plunged into the wind, snow whipping around him to cover his tracks.

* * *

Ariel put Nightwing down on the floor to crawl. Ricel offered her a plate cookies. "I am so glad you decided to come by, Ariel. I am sure Natoya and Nightwing will get along just fine. Look at them playing."

Ariel glanced at her son making his way around the low table in the center of Ricel's living room to study Natoya. A pink bow in the girl's hair tilted to one side as she sat in the center of her stuffed animals, smiling a smile of two teeth.

"Nightwing is very friendly," Ariel said with a wink, and helped herself to a cookie. "Your sons and husband are out?"

Ricel nodded her dark head. "Yes. Wyn and the boys stepped out to market. It is cake day and Madame Naidin's cakes are to die for."

"I do not doubt it," Ariel said.

Natoya squalled and the women looked up. Nightwing cocked his head to one side as Natoya tried to grab the fur mouse from his hands. He shook his head and held it away.

"Natoya," Ricel said sharply.

Ariel jumped at her tone. So did Nightwing. Natoya looked at her mother and protested, "Mine, na! Mine!"

"Let Nightwing have it," Ricel said. "He is a guest."

"Mine!" Natoya shrieked. She smacked Nightwing with the rabbit in her hands and Nightwing stared at her. Natoya scrambled forward and grabbed the mouse from Nightwing.

"She does not know what a guest is," Ariel said gently, but Ricel did not here her as she left her seat.

Natoya screamed as Ricel took the mouse from her and gave it back to Nightwing. She picked her daughter up and smacked her bottom. "No, Natoya. Never hit."

Nightwing's grey eyes filled with tears and his lower lip trembled. He crawled away from Ricel, upset by what he had seen her do. "Na! Nana!"

Ricel put her crying daughter down. "I am sorry she hurt you, Nightwing."

Ariel scooped her son up and rubbed her back. "He is not upset about the mouse or being hit by the rabbit, Ricel. Now, if you will excuse us, I just remembered I left lunch on the stove."

Breathing hard, Ariel marched from the house. She sank into a chair in her own living room and kissed Nightwing's wet cheek, her brows drawn tight. When Erestor came home for lunch, he too frowned at the tale.

* * *

 **Landion has made a choice. A very foolish choice. What will become of him? As for Ariel, she has seen something she would rather not have seen . . .**

 **Thank you for reading! I love hearing from you and drawing inspiration from your comments.**

 **Which lucky person will give me 300 reviews? Or will it take another chapter yet?**

 **Next Chapter: Celeborn apologies.**


	91. I Feel Light

Celeborn found Elladan and Elrohir in a warm room. Arwen slept on a low bed in one corner while her brothers sat on the floor.

Elladan looked up in sudden confusion. "Why are you back?"

Celeborn sat on his knees between them, keeping his voice low as Elrohir shuffled the cards in his hands. "I know we both remember many instances when I have spanked you. Yes?"

Elrohir dealt the cards between him and Elladan. "You know it is a yes."

"Well, I am sorry. And I give my word I will not add more memories of spanking to your minds in the future."

The twins stopped playing to look at him. "Why?"

"I stayed at an Inn during the recent blizzard. I met two people who showed me that being gentle with children does work and it is a much healthier path then spanking. I realized I had made a mistake in hitting you to teach you; I realized I could have used any number of peaceful ways. And I want to say I am sorry for making a bad decision."

Elladan looked at his twin, throwing down his cards. Celeborn realized the brothers were playing poker over . . . chocolate bars?

"We forgive you," Elrohir said, collecting up the cards and shuffling them again. "Thank you for coming. Play with us?"

"One hand. Then I must find my daughter. I do not think she will forgive as easily as you have for I have spanked her a hundred times as much as you."

"Celebrian is not like that. She has already forgiven you."

* * *

Thranduil met Vandril at his throne with an annoyed gleam in his eyes.

"My lord, I trust my son is ready to come with me now?" Vandril questioned as he bowed.

"No, he is not. Right now what Landion or you want does not matter. Landion is missing and has been since this morning. My scouts are combing the forest and the palace for him at this moment."

Vandril started to speak then checked himself. "I see. I trust this is not a ruse to keep my son from me."

"You can trust not. Right now I want Landion to be where I know he is safe, not lost or wandering in the dark. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to oversee the search. I will call you when Landion is found."

* * *

Landion groaned with pain. He could hear footsteps and people running. The screams of the orcs dying around him as the shower of elven arrows from the trees cut them down sounded around him.

Landion could not move. It hurt too much. The arrow inside him felt like it wanted to stab deeper under his ribs. He lay on his back and whimpered like an animal in pain, the trees above him blurry. A face swam into his vision and Landion relaxed; even through the red pain of his haze, he saw it was not an orc but an elf. He screamed as the arrow moved and fell into blackness as the elf picked him up.

* * *

"My lord," Hyrondal said with a bow. "Talion found Landion. He was shot by orcs."

Thranduil staggered. "Valar, no! Is he dead?"

"He is with Healer Jailil in the healing ward, my lord, and the healer requests you come at once."

Thranduil thanked the Captain and hurried in the direction of the healing wing. An apprentice healer showed him into Landion's appointed chamber and closed the door behind him. Thranduil rushed to the bedside to find Landion lying pale on the sheets, his eyes closed. He touched the elfling's forehead before swinging around to face Healer Jailil.

The elf held an arrow shaft in one hand and his lips were pinched together.

"What happened?" Thranduil asked. "Was it poisoned?"

"No," Healer Jailil said. He held up the arrow and Thranduil noticed the head was missing. "I am afraid this arrow was so poorly made, the moment I pulled it loose, the head slipped off the shaft."

"You mean . . . ?"

The elf healer sighed. "I mean to say the filthy arrowhead is still inside Landion, lodged under his rib. I am sorry, my lord. I should have been more careful. I never expected it to break."

Healer Jailil flung aside the shaft of black wood and paced. "I am fearful to try and dig the arrow out; one wrong move and the head will slip the wrong way and pierce Landion's lung. It could kill him."

"You cannot leave it inside him!" Thranduil hissed. "Are you mad? Valar knows what filth it is covered in from the orcs!"

"Thranduil, I do not want to kill your brother," Healer Jailil said.

"You must try," Thranduil urged. "Saes."

Healer Jailil looked at Landion's unconscious form before he nodded. "I will. Send in Pine after you leave; I need quiet to work. Wait in my office; I will give you the report when I am done."

Thranduil leaned down to kiss Landion's forehead before he left, sending Healer Jailil Pine as he found the elf in the hall. He retired to Healer Jailil's office and waited, chewing on his nails with anxiety.

An hour later Healer Jailil stepped into the room, wiping his hands off on a cloth. He sat down at the chair behind his desk and took a moment to rest his face on his hands and rub his temples.

"It is in to deep," Healer Jailil admitted. "I cannot get it out."

Thranduil bit his lip. "Will he—will he be able to live with an arrowhead inside him?"

Healer Jailil rose to his feet and paced around the office. "Hypothetically, yes. He will feel some pain when he breathes to deep or engages in strenuous exercise and it is possible the arrowhead will move inside him and possibly puncture his lung. If he lives life like an invalid, he will live."

Thranduil's eyes fill with pain as he thought of Landion's wish to learn to master a sword. His days in the training fields would be over.

"But you have to realize, my lord, that is assuming he does not get an infection from the possible filth on the arrowhead. And I think it highly possible Landion will be infected."

"Will—will he die?"

"It is possible. It depends on the level of the infection and how his body responds. I have done my best to clean the wound but I cannot reach the arrowhead."

Thranduil buried his face in his hands, redoubling his wish for ada to be here. What would he do? What could he do?

"There is nothing we can do, my lord, but wait," Healer Jailil said, coming to put a hand on Thranduil's shoulder. "Since we cannot reach the arrowhead, it would be futile to keep poking in his body in vain. We will let Landion rest and measure his recovery."

"We are essentially doing nothing," Thranduil snapped. "He could be dying!"

"I know this is not easy for you to bear. It is not easy for me to bear, standing by, being unable to do anything to help your brother with hands that have saved thousands of lives. I am as hurt as you."

Thranduil heaved himself to his feet. "There is one person in Middle Earth whose healing skills are above yours. Excuse me while I speak to Elrond."

Elladan and Elrohir looked up from their places beside Arwen, their hands full of carved toys as Thranduil entered the room. Elladan climbed to his feet.

"We heard about Landion. Is he alright?"

"He will be," Thranduil answered. He beckoned to Elrond. "I would like a moment with you alone."

Elrond left the sofa from beside his wife, guessing Landion would not as fine as Thranduil's tone suggested. He could see the pain in the elf king's eyes. And Legolas saw it too.

Alone in the hallway, Thranduil turned to Elrond. "Landion is not fine. The arrowhead came off the shaft when Healer Jailil pulled it free and it is lodged under his rib, near his lung. Healer Jailil tried to get it out but he cannot reach it and he fears one wrong move will send the arrowhead into Landion's lung and possibly kill him."

Legolas poked his head into the hallway. "Ada—"

"Legolas, back to the living room. Now."

The elfling sensed Thranduil's patience was at an end and retreated without a word.

Thranduil turned back to Elrond. "I know not everything you have experienced here was . . . pleasant and I am sorry for any wrong you felt you suffered. I will do anything to make up for it; anything. But _please_ help Landion. My brother may be dying and you are the lone person who can help him now. Please, _please_ help him."

Elrond's brow furrowed. "Thranduil, you do not have to _beg_ —"

"I will beg for my brother," Thranduil said. "I am not afraid to lay aside my pride when my brother's life is at stake. In the whole of Middle Earth, you are the only person who is better with his healing skills then Healer Jailil. You are the only person who can get the arrowhead out. Please help him."

Elrond could see in Thranduil's eyes the elf king meant every word and would drop to his knees if he had to. He held up a hand. "Thranduil, it is true I . . . did not enjoy every moment I spent here but you do not need to apologize because I understand. I do. And I know without you and Harune, Elladan and Elrohir would not come to climb into bed with Celebrian and me at night. I know without you Elladan and Elrohir would not let me kiss and cuddle them. You opened my eyes when I was too blind to see and I am grateful—"

Elrond broke off as he saw the desperation in Thranduil's eyes. He realized the elf king appreciated the speech but also that this was not the time to express his feelings when Landion lay bleeding.

"Now take me to Landion," Elrond finished.

Relief washed across Thranduil's face. "Hannon le, hannon le. Come quickly."

Thranduil held Landion's hand as Elrond set to work. Healer Jailil provided him with the tools and remained in the room to offer his assistance. Thranduil concentrated on Landion's pale face instead of the metal tools poking into his brother's body.

Elrond worked in silence, his brow puckered and his eyes squinting in concentration. Landion remained still, his unconsciousness induced by the strong tea Healer Jailil had poured down his throat to keep him from pain. Half an hour later Elrond put down his tools with a sigh and rinsed his hands in a bowl of water, the liquid swirling red.

"I am sorry," Elrond said with a shake of his head as Healer Jailil swiftly bound up the wound with clean clothes. "I do believe Healer Jailil's skills are equal to mine in this matter. I cannot grasp the arrowhead to pull it free and one wrong nudge . . ."

He made a gesture to indicate Landion would die. "I cleaned it the best I could to prevent infection but I can do no more."

Thranduil closed his eyes and nodded. He looked up. "Thank you for trying. I am grateful for your help."

Elrond moved around the bed and put a hand on his shoulder. "I am sorry I cannot do more."

Landion's eyes fluttered and cracked open. He turned his head and his green eyes fastened on Thranduil. He reached for his brother's hand. "Muindor? Why is there so much pain?"

Thranduil squeezed his hand. "You were shot by an orc arrow. The head is still inside you."

Landion whimpered. "It does not feel good. I cannot breath without feeling sharp pain. Will it come out?"

Thranduil looked down and shook his head. "We do not know, penneth muindor. The arrowhead is stuck inside you deep and one wrong slip could send it into your lung, killing you. We are doing everything we can to make it comes out."

Landion coughed and struggled to move. Thranduil helped him roll over onto his uninjured side and brushed his hair off his forehead.

"I am sorry I ran away. This is my fault," Landion said.

"I understand why you left," Thranduil said.

"I do not want Vandril to take me," Landion said.

"While I am here, Vandril will not take you," Thranduil promised. "I give you my word. And now I must insist you rest and drink this tea; you have lost a lot of blood."

* * *

Celebrian licked her fingers as she finished putting the pastries into the oven. She turned around and bumped into Celeborn. "Oh! Ada, what has happened? Was there an attack?"

Celeborn held up a hand to still the worry in her eyes. He embraced her, sticky apron, flour, and all and held on tight. Celebrian choked on a gasp of surprise.

Celeborn spoke in rapid elvish. "I am sorry, yelde. I cannot take the way I chose the discipline you in your childhood but I wish I could. If I could have been gentle and kind at heart instead of following blindly the way of my family, I would be content at heart. Forgive me please for every blow I ever struck on you."

"I forgave you years ago, when I found the twins' journal. All resentment I let go of, ada. I was worried only that it was you who would not forgive me for opening my eyes and refusing to follow blindly into the bramble patch you entered into. Will you . . . tell me what changed your mind?"

Celeborn told her of his time at Spirit Inn. He ended by saying, "I almost wish I could have another child. I want to try so _badly_ not to spank, if only to prove to myself I can do it."

Celebrian patted his arm. "I am sorry, ada, but I cannot loan you my sons to try on. Nana does not agree, does she?"

Celeborn looked away. "No. She would not come back with me."

Celebrian pursed her lips. She looked up as Arwen barreled off the stairs, pursued by Elladan and Elrohir, her hands and mouth covered in melted chocolate. She grabbed onto Celebrian's skirt and grinned at her brothers.

"She stole our chocolate," Elladan complained.

Celebrian picked Arwen up. "You can have some pastries when they come out of the oven. Now help me clean this one up."

"I must leave tomorrow," Celeborn said. "I have to return to Lorien."

"I am glad you came back," Celebrian said. "I am glad you found it in your heart to accept my choice and to change yours. I hope you find a way to prove to yourself not spanking a child works; I hope something will find you to give you the opportunity to find out."

"I will come to Rivendell to see you as soon as I am able," Celeborn promised. "Thank you for accepting my apologies; I feel lighter already."

Celebrian watched her father go, an unconscious smile on her lips. She ruffled Elladan's hair, leaned down to kiss Elrohir on the cheek, and carried Arwen to the sink. As suddenly as he had come, Celeborn left the next day, his mission accomplished and his heart singing in his chest.

* * *

 **Thranduil's heart is aching. Vandril is driving the knife deeper. Celeborn has made a warm choice. If Elrond cannot help Landion, who can?**

 **Congratulations to Aria Breuer on being the 300th reviewer! Can we make it to 400 before this is all over?**

 **Thank you all for reading; I love hearing from you!**

 **Next Chapter: Thranduil cries.**


	92. I Cried Tears

"Ada? Will Landion live? I saw you call Elrond?"

Thranduil met the eyes of his worried son. "He is in a lot of pain right now, ion nin, and the healers are working to find a way to remove the arrowhead inside him without killing him."

Legolas hesitated. "And—and what about Vandril?"

"I . . . am deciding what to do about Vandril. I promised to send for him when Landion was found."

Legolas put his hand into his father's. "I know you do not want to call him."

"But my word is my word," Thranduil finished. He smiled and ruffled Legolas's hair. "Come with me; we will send Vandril my letter and afterwards I will read you a story. I have nothing else to do."

Legolas looked up at him. "I know how you feel. I am sorry you are in so much pain, ada."

"And I am sorry you have to feel it to."

"You do not need to be sorry for me, ada. I have felt worst but knowing you are here for me always heals my pain."

After sending the letter to Vandril, Thranduil and Legolas retired to the living room. The twins jumped to their feet and came to ask, "Is Landion alright?"

"He is healing," Thranduil answered. "The healers are doing everything within their power to make sure he lives."

Elladan and Elrohir saw the look in his eyes and halted further questions.

"Ada is reading me the next chapter of my book," Legolas put in, saving the situation as the twins offered Thranduil a hug. "Would you like to join us?"

"We would be glad to," Elrohir answered.

Legolas brought the book and sat down on the unoccupied sofa. Thranduil's strong voice read through the first five pages before it faltered. Legolas looked up at the sudden break in his father's voice with surprise.

Thranduil closed the book. "I-I am sorry, little leaf, but I-I cannot seem to concentrate today . . ." His voice trailed away and the book slipped to the floor.

Legolas could feel the tears welling in Thranduil's heart and eyes and swiftly reached to hug him. "I know how it feels, ada. But I will be here for you like you are here for me. You can hold me and cry."

Thranduil wrapped his arms around Legolas and held him tight. "I know how I felt when you were injured. The pain of knowing Landion could die or live a crippled life would be unbearable if it were not for you."

Legolas said nothing but he pressed himself closer to Thranduil's heart. He could feel the warm tears dripping into his hair from his father's face.

Elladan and Elrohir moved from the couch, sensing Thranduil needed room to be with his son and went to stand beside Elrond in his chair.

"Ada?" Elrohir asked. "How bad is Landion?"

Elrond reached for his hand. "Not well."

"Could—could he die?" Elrohir's voice almost broke but he managed to keep it steady.

"His life is not certain," Elrond admitted, taking Elrohir's hand and squeezing it. "I did everything I could but you understand I do not wish to kill him with a wrong move."

"I understand. But . . . I do not want Landion to die, Elrond. He is—he is like a cousin to us."

"I will help in every way I can," Elrond promised.

The door flew open and Vandril came into the room. Thranduil jerked upright on the couch with a frown as Galion appeared, flustered with apologies, "Forgive me, my lord, but I could not keep him out."

"I would like to see my son," Vandril snapped. "I hear he is dying."

"His chances of survival are low but the healers are doing everything within their power to help him," Thranduil said, years of experience allowing him to keep his voice level.

Legolas slid off the couch as Thranduil rose to his feet. "I will take you to the healing wing, Vandril. I ask you to be quiet around Landion; as you know he is not well."

"He is my son! I can be trusted to be with him," Vandril snapped.

Thranduil's lips pressed thin. "I will thank you to treat me with the respect."

"Of course," Vandril said through clenched teeth. "Forgive me, my lord."

Thranduil acknowledged him with a nod, chucked Legolas under the chin, and led Vandril to the healing wing. Healer Jailil admitted the elves to Landion's room.

Thranduil stood in the doorway and watched Vandril cross to Landion's bed. The elfling lay asleep, his eyes closed and his hands clenched on the sheets. He felt a brief stab of pain as Vandril caressed Landion's hair, a smile spreading across his face.

"How I have missed you, my little mountain," Vandril murmured. He leaned down to kiss Landion's forehead.

Landion's green eyes snapped open at the words. He saw Vandril and screamed. "Muindor nin! Muindor nin! Help me! Please help me!"

Vandril reached for Landion's hand. "It is me, ion nin, your father. You do not need to be afraid; I love you."

Landion's struggled to break away, hot tears pooling in his eyes as he sobbed. "No. no! You lie; you always lied. Muindor, help me!"

"You do not have a brother," Vandril said, his voice clipped.

Landion's eyes widened. "You took me away from him. Thranduil. Thranduil!"

"I am here, muindor penneth," Thranduil said, his voice gentle as he stepped past Vandril. "Lie still or you will injure yourself further. I will sit with you."

"I do not feel so good," Landion moaned.

Thranduil felt his forehead and reached for the glass of water on the table beside him. "I know, Landion. You have slight fever. But all will be well; I give my word. Now drink."

He held the glass to Landion's lips and supported the elfling as he sucked down the water. Landion flopped back and Thranduil shook out the blankets.

"I feel so hot," Landion complained. He curled on his side, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. Healer Jailil came to Thranduil's side and looked down at the elfling. He took the blankets and covered Landion.

"It is as we feared," he said. "No matter how clean we made the wound, an infection rages within him from the filth of the orc arrowhead. I know he is hot, Thranduil, and he will complain, but the fever must be brought to its height swiftly so it can break and be over."

Thranduil looked at his little brother with pity as Landion slept in his restless sleep, fussing in his tomb of fire.

"A healer will be with him at all times," Jailil said, steering Vandril and Thranduil toward the door. "I will call if you are needed."

Thranduil turned to vandril. "I know you want your son back but Landion is sick. As of now, we will let him rest and recover. After he is well, we will discuss the situation of his parenthood."

"Forgive me if it seems you keep putting it off, my lord," Vandril said with a bow.

"It is not easy to give up someone you love," Thranduil said. "I want Landion to be where he is happy, whether be with me or you. And we cannot establish where he will be happy until he is well and able to . . . communicate with us."

Vandril looked after the elf king as Thranduil swept away. His mind thought back to Landion's broken pleas for his brother. Thranduil; his brother.

Vandril bit his lip. The thought seemed strange to him. Landion . . . had no brother. But he did have a father and Vandril would see his son where he belonged.

* * *

 **Legolas understands tears need to flow. His father lets him cry when he needs to. Sometimes Thranduil needs a turn! Will Landion grow worst?**

 **Thank you so much for reading. Sharing with you means so much and I love hearing your thoughts at the close of each chapter, be they critical or inspiring!**

 **I have a foot of snow here! The twins are as cozied up as I am on their couch but I am afraid spring will come to Middle Earth sooner then to me . . .**

 **Next Chapter: Elrohir and Elladan get into a fight, against which measures must be taken . . . Will Elrond loose everything in one foul move?**


	93. I Felt My Heart Lighten

Elrohir skipped into the living room to find Elladan lying on the floor drawing. He held a sketchbook in his hand and asked his brother, "Have you seen my pencils?"

"No," said Elladan, looking with attention at his drawing.

"You are lying!" Elrohir cried. "What have you done with my pencils?"

"I have not done a thing with them," Elladan cried, jumping to his feet.

"I know you have done something with them," Elrohir accused. "I saw you with my box down by the river yesterday."

Elladan hesitated. Unable to lie to his brother, he admitted, "I dropped the box into the water by accident."

"What?" Elrohir cried. "How could you have been so careless?"

"It was an accident!" Elladan shouted back. "I would never do it intentionally."

"You had no right to take mine without asking!"

"You should have said something yesterday!" Elladan retorted.

"I would have, if I had known you were going to drop them into the water! You should have used your own!"

"Mine were being sharpened because you have been using them incessantly," Elladan snapped. "If anything, it is your fault."

"Mine?" Elrohir flung his sketchbook down to the sofa. "You dropped them, not me. You stole them."

Elladan scowled. "You are a fine one to talk after you take mine one after the next—"

Elrohir's hands curled into fists. "I take care not to drop your pencils into the river!"

"I told you it was an accident!" Elladan shouted. "Why will you not listen?"

"I am listening! But it is not bringing my pencils back, is it?" Elrohir spat.

The door flew open as Elrond charged into the room in time to see the twins hurl themselves onto one another.

Elrond grabbed Elrohir's arm and jerked him back as he heard Elladan cry out in pain.

"Elrohir!" he snapped.

The elfling fell still at his voice and turned his eyes away from Elladan. As Celebrian swooped through the door to come to Elladan's side, Elrond led Elrohir out of the room. His son followed him without resistance. Elladan cast a desperate look back at his brother before the door closed.

In the privacy of his bedroom, Elrond left Elrohir by the bed and closed the door. He whirled around in time to grab Elrohir's hand as the elfling tried to dive under the bed.

Elrohir screamed and Elrond's heart almost choked his throat.

"Gracious valar, Elrohir, I do not intend to hurt you," Elrond exclaimed, swiftly encircling his son in a hug to sooth him. "I know there is a time when I would be spanking you for hitting your brother but that time is behind us."

"I do not believe you," Elrohir accused. "You lie."

"I am proving to you right now I do not like by not spanking you. Would you like to tell me what happened between you and Elladan?"

Elrond guided his son to the bed and made him sit. Elrohir curled onto his side and rested his cheek on his palm. Elrond sat down beside him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"He took my box of pencils without asking," Elrohir admitted. "And dropped them into the river."

"I am sorry he dropped them. But I am sure it was an accident," Elrond said.

"They were my pencils," Elrohir said in a choked voice.

"I understand you are upset and it was not right of your brother to take them without asking you. But I am disappointed in your actions; attacking your brother is not alright."

Elrohir cringed and Elrond sighed, wishing Elrohir would stop wincing. Elrohir sat up and dangled his legs off the bed. His head down, he asked, "Will you punish me?"

Elrond put his arms around Elrohir's shoulders. "You, of all people, should know attacking your brother would not bring your pencils back. I am disappointed with what you did and, yes, I will punish you. But I will not spank you. What kind of lesson would you learn if I punished you for hitting your brother by hitting you?"

Elrohir looked into his eyes and shrugged. "I do not know. You used to think it some kind of lesson."

"Are you ready to apologize to Elladan?"

"What if I do not feel sorry?" Elrohir countered.

"I will not force you to apologize if you do not feel any regrets," Elrond answered.

Elrohir looked down. "I am sorry. Pencils are not worth hitting my twin."

Elrond stood up and held out a hand. "Come, you can tell Elladan how you feel."

Elrohir took his hand and followed him. Elladan and Celebrian sat in the living room, side by side on the couch. Elladan looked up as his father and brother entered.

"I am sorry I hit you," Elrohir said. "I was upset over the pencils. I know you never meant to drop them into the river."

Elladan smiled crookedly. "It is alright. I should not have taken your pencils without asking. I forgive you."

Celebrian stood and came to Elrond's side as the twins embraced. When the elflings turned around to face them, Elrond said, "You did something wrong today. Elrohir, you hit your brother. Elladan, you stole your brother's property. I think you understand where you went wrong and I am sure this will not happen again."

"Elladan, you will spend an hour a day for the next three days, starting tomorrow, cleaning the stalls the Stable Master reports are dirty. You will put your hands to use instead of using them for stealing," Celebrian said.

"Elrohir," Elrond said, "You will spend an hour a day in the kitchens for the next three days, starting tomorrow, assisting with whatever work you are assigned so you will remember hands are not for hitting."

"Elladan, you will go to the dining room and write me a one page paper on honesty," Celebrian said.

"Elrohir, you may stay here and write me a one page paper on self-control," Elrond finished. "Now."

For half a moment, defiance crept across Elrohir's face. He nodded and he and his twin separated.

"Do not steal my ink!" Elrohir called after Elladan.

"Your mother and I will be with Arwen," Elrond said. "We will expect you down in half an hour."

Elrohir walked to collect his ink, pen, and a sheet of paper. Legolas levered himself out of his chair and ran in search of his father with bright eyes. Finding the office and throne empty, he sprinted to the healing wing.

The quiet, white halls were filled with bustling healers, and Legolas passed Galion as he hurried to Landion's chamber.

Legolas stepped into Landion's room. "Ada, you will never believe—"

Legolas's words died from his lips as he heard Landion's disturbed moans and sobs. The elfling lay sobbing in his tangled sheets, his eyes hazy and unseeing though they were open, full of pain. His cheeks were flushed and his surroundings clearly unknown to him. Hot tears coursed down his cheeks.

Thranduil, Healer Jailil, and two attendants hovered over Landion, two holding him still while Healer Jailil tended to the elfling's wound. Legolas winced at the sight of the bloody rags and Landion's howls of pain. Though Thranduil held his hand, Landion seemed to have no comfort.

Another elf turned from the doorway and Legolas found himself staring into the yellow eyes of Vandril. The elf looked at him for a moment before he turned away.

Quietly, Legolas closed the door, certain ada could not hear him over Landion's screams and sat down with his hands folded in his lap on the bench opposite the door to wait until his father emerged.

Thranduil emerged minutes later, having caught a glimpse of Legolas's hair in the corner of his eyes. He sat down beside his son and put an arm around his shoulders.

"You had something you wanted to tell me?" he asked.

"Elladan and Elrohir attacked each other," Legolas said. "Elrond was furious."

Thranduil sighed and dropped his head into his hands. "I cannot help Landion and deal with Elrond. If he has harmed them I will have to send him home."

Legolas leaned his head on Thranduil's shoulder. "He sent them to write papers on honesty and assigned them an hour of work."

Thranduil nodded. "I am happy to hear it. My heart is lightened knowing he is beginning to learn."

Legolas swallowed. "Ada, how is Landion?"

"Not well," Thranduil answered.

"I do not want him to die," Legolas said in a small voice.

Thranduil kissed the top of his head. "He will not die, little leaf. The best healers in the world are looking after him."

* * *

 **Elrond has made a wonderful step in the right direction. I am sure the twins feel closer to him now. What do you think?**

 **Thank you so much for reading. I love hearing from you!**

 **I know Vandril is annoying you. I promise he will be gone soon . . . A nice winter storm left a foot and a half of snow outside my house.**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas attends a meeting.**


	94. I Lied

Landion wanted water. He tossed in his sleep, trying to force his heavy eyes open without success. He felt as if fire burned at every point in his body, his bones aching. Never had he felt so heavy. Iron weights smothered him and, as he wriggled, he screamed as pain lit up in his left side.

Someone touched his forehead and held a glass of water to his lips. Landion choked on the bitter liquid and tried to turn his head away but his body would not listen to him. He wanted to speak, to ask for his father, but his lips would not work.

He could hear the slur of his words echoing above him and his heart filled with desperation, as he realized no one could understand him—no one knew what he needed.

A cool clothe on his forehead lessened his discomfort as the knotted, heated blankets were shaken out and tucked smooth around him. He tried again to open his eyes but found himself too weak.

Why is ada not here? Landion wondered, his mind blurry with past events. Why has he left me to bear this pain alone? Ada!

His heart wept a silent plea he could hear but no one else could. He tried to concentrate on the soft voice singing to him but the tears rolling down his cheeks distracted him.

He heard a voice speak in urgent tones to someone and, for a moment, his heart lightened at Legolas's name. It died into silence.

Landion fought to say his nephew's name but he struggled in vain.

Hurting and hot, Landion drifted into a dark realm where fires seemed to burn all around him and he could not escape the black dreams following him.

* * *

Holding the cool clothe to Landion's forehead as the elfling muttered slurred words, Healer Jailil turned to Legolas.

The young prince stood staring at Landion, his lips trembling at the obvious site of his uncle's pain.

"Legolas!" Healer Jailil snapped, his voice tense, "Fetch your father now."

Legolas stumbled toward the door as Galion swept past him with clean clothes and a bowl of ice water.

Legolas banged into Thranduil's office. His father looked up with stern eyes, ready to scold him, but stopped at Legolas's expression.

"Ada, Healer Jailil says you must come at once," Legolas gasped. "It is Landion."

"Oh, no, no," Thranduil said, dropping the stack of papers in his hands. "I cannot come, Legolas. I have an important meeting now I cannot miss."

"But Landion could be dying!" Legolas pleaded.

"Go back and tell Healer Jailil I cannot come," Thranduil said, unwillingness in his eyes.

Legolas searched with desperation for a solution. "You must go to him—I-I will tell Galion to attend the meeting in your stead. Harune has trained him in a large field of skills and I am sure he can."

Thranduil shoved his crown into Legolas's hands. "Do it. It is being held in the usual conference chamber. Now go!"

Leaving his son standing in the open door of the office, Thranduil raced to the healing wing. Healer Jailil stood by the bed, his hands stained red with Landion's blood. The elfling shrieked and howled, pinned down by two white-faced apprentices, the sheets reddened with his blood.

Thranduil bit his lip.

"I have to clean this wound," Healer Jailil apologized. "Else the infection will worsen. Help me."

"You have to remove the arrowhead," Thranduil insisted.

As he applied another wet cloth to the wound, Landion screamed again. Healer Jailil frowned in concentration. "It is not as easy as signing a paper, Thranduil. Do you not understand? Removing the arrowhead will kill him."

Thranduil heard Landion's ragged breathing and went to relieve one of the apprentice healers of his duty. He leaned over his brother, holding Landion to him. Sweat ran down the elfling's forehead and he gasped for breath but calmed as he felt a familiar touch.

"It will be alright," Thranduil said, more to assure himself then Landion. He dried the sweat from Landion's face and stroked his forehead with a cool hand. "You will be fine, muindor nin, you will be fine."

Healer Jailil finished his work and tied the bandages. Thranduil lifted Landion in his arms as the apprentice healers changed the sheets. Landion's lips moved as Thranduil put him back down but his words were lost in his fever.

Thranduil held Landion's hand as he sat beside him, singing in elvish.

For four hours Thranduil sat with Landion, keeping a cool cloth on his forehead and his voice filling the room. Landion slept, his breathing still unsteady but his tossing stopped.

Thranduil wondered how Galion fared at the meeting. He smiled. It should be over in another hour or so. He squeezed Landion's hand and looked up, his eyes confused as Galion entered with a tray of food.

"What are you doing here?" Thranduil gasped. "You cannot have finished at the meeting already?"

"Meeting, my lord?" Galion questioned, setting down the tray.

"Legolas said he would tell you to attend the meeting in my stead," Thranduil said.

"I have been here since early morning assisting Healer Jailil, my lord. We are working on finding a cleansing antidote strong enough to conqueror the filth on the orc arrowhead."

"But then . . ." Thranduil put Landion's hand into Galion's and rose to his feet. "Sing to him. I have the most awful feeling . . ."

Thranduil smoothed his hair and clothes as he rushed toward the conference chamber. He almost tripped over the hem of his robe as he entered under the archway. Two dozen elves sat around the round table, listening with rapt attention and amused eyes to the person at the head of the table, in Thranduil's chair. The small elfling had to sit upright on his knees to see down the high table.

"Legolas Greenleaf!" Thranduil cried. "What in Middle Earth are you _doing_?"

Legolas turned to look at him, adjusting the crown on his head with care as it was a little too big for him and haughtily adjusted the folds of his borrowed silk mantle.

"I am addressing the meeting—should I call you my king, my lord, or my father?"

Thranduil turned swiftly away to wrestle his expression under control before he faced Legolas. "You lied to me. You knew well Galion would not be able to come."

"I lied for Landion," Legolas insisted. "I-I knew he needed you; I had to make you go. And I knew you would not go unless you knew someone else would be here."

"So you put the future of Mirkwood on the line? The future of the Third Merchant Act on the line?"

"I do not know what you mean," Legolas protested. "I have not put anything on the line. I have addressed the meeting, like I told you, and if you would only ask _them_ , you might know I have not ruined all your hard work. Now, if you will kindly not interrupt—"

Several of the elves at the table choked on their wine, coughing until their laughter subsided. Thranduil's eye fell on the goblet in front of Legolas and his face lit up. "You have been drinking!"

"I sent down to Nimrethil for lemonade. And I cannot get anything done when you keep talking!" Legolas cried in frustration. "You make me sit down and listen quietly when I come in to your meetings and I do not see why you cannot do the same for me!"

"You should not be here in the first place. You are dismissed; you may return my property to me and wait in your room for me to come speak with you about this."

One of the elves at the table spoke, "My lord, with all due respect, we are, in fact, in the middle of the meeting and we would be much obliged to you if we could finish it in peace, with the Head of Kingdom we started out with."

Thranduil paused to look at the elf before he nodded curtly and sat down on a bench against the wall. Legolas cleared his throat, picked up Thranduil's notes, eyed the next line, and resumed reading.

"In conclusion, The Third Merchant Act is—I cannot read this word—here to ensure the lives of those to provide our kingdom with supplies' are rewarded in full for their efforts. Those of noble blood are prone to forget those of working class often have families themselves. The Third Merchant Act will—something with an E—those who make our lives easier have the time to spend with their families. With your consent—something with an I—The Third Merchant Act will be affected—no—enacted immediately. With the best interests—Something with an O—of our Kingdom in mind, I ask the Council to either approve or decline The Third Merchant Act. Please pass your vetoes—no—votes."

Thranduil dropped his head into his hands, unsure whether to laugh or cry. Either Legolas needed more time reading aloud or he had scribbled the last lines of his notes in a hurry. He had a vague feeling it was the latter.

"I will now take your votes," Legolas announced as the scratch of pens stopped. He collected the slips of paper and unfolded each one, making a single neat stack before he declared, adjusting the crown to keep it from falling off his head, "With full approval from the Council, The Third Merchant Act will be enacted immediately. I—ahem—ada—err—King Thranduil will do the necessary paperwork in his office as soon as possible. Since the _minutes_ have already been read, we are all dismissed. Bother this crown."

Thranduil rescued the royal circlet from Legolas's hands. His son attacked the last of his drink and slumped in his chair. "I now understand why you are often late coming back from a meeting, ada—um—King Thranduil—your majesty—I do not know what to call you formally," Legolas admitted.

"Hir nin will do fine. I suppose the rest of your speech was not as bad as the last lines?"

Legolas stared at him in sudden indignation. "I do not know what you mean. It is not my fault I could not read the smears of ink you left behind in your last lines. The rest of my speech was a smooth epistle that, as you can see, resulted in full approval of The Third Merchant Act. But, do you know, after reading pages and pages, I still do not know what it is all about."

"I assure you Prince Legolas enlivened our meeting with a spirit we did not expect," a second elf said. "Usually the wine is all that pulls us through. We thank you for this unforgettable experience."

As the council members filed out of the room, Legolas yawned and rubbed his eyes. Thranduil looked at his son with pity. "You must be tired after all these hours in this chair. Come, I will carry you up to bed."

"Are you still mad?" Legolas mumbled into his shoulder.

"No, I am not mad. And I think reading for four hours or so aloud is punishment enough for lying to me. But I do not want this to happen again. Do you understand?"

Legolas nodded. "Yes, ada. I am sorry I lied to you. I did not want Landion to be in pain without you. But, ada, do you think I might come with you in the future and maybe read some of the address to the meeting?"

"We will see what the future holds," Thranduil answered.

Legolas rested his head on Thranduil's shoulder. "I-I am sorry I lied," he mumbled.

"You do not need to apologize again, little leaf," Thranduil said kindly. "We are worried about Landion and we want him to be happy. I know you did what you thought best."

After putting Legolas down to nap on his bed, Thranduil walked to the healing wing. He found Elrond alone making a poultice of herbs. The lord of Rivendell nodded to him.

"We hope this mix will cancel Landion's infection," Elrond said. "And do not ask me to remove the arrowhead; I cannot without ending him."

"Legolas told me you refrained from violent measures the other day with Elladan and Elrohir," Thranduil said.

Elrond focused on his task. "Yes."

"You are making progress," Thranduil said. "And I am happy you are showing the twins you love them."

Elrond looked up. "I could not have done it without you. I am sorry I cannot do more for Landion. But I . . . do not wish to have the death of another elf on my hands. Especially when it is a child."

Thranduil gave a strained smile. "You are doing all you can and I thank you. I—we—both know you have struggled in the past with keeping to your vow of non-violence with Elladan and Elrohir. I do not want to see you fall back the steps you have fought to climb."

"Have you any suggestions as to how I might keep my balance?"

"I do," Thranduil said.

* * *

 **Some of you may notice this chapter is a day late in being posted . . . I thank you all for your patience. I had a bad cold and stayed in bed, much to the neglect of this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it!**

 **I must say I had a chuckle at Legolas's time at the meeting! Did you laugh at his last address?**

 **Thank you all for reading. It means so much to me and I love hearing from you!**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond and the twins talk.**


	95. I Am Angry

Elrond sat with the twins and Legolas, feeling strange about being with the son of Thranduil with so much ease while the king finished his work at the office. The sketchbook lay open on his knees.

Elladan looked at the drawing.

"It is not nice," Legolas said, leaning over Elladan's shoulder to look at the sketch of Elrond spanking the twins. "I never saw him do it to you."

"It is not a bad drawing," Elladan contradicted.

"The best drawings are often made in the heat of the moment, with great emotion behind them," Legolas said. "Master Gillian made me memorize the _entire poem_ after I failed to do my work."

"It is several pages long," Elrond said.

Legolas grinned. "Master Gillian said I was not applying myself. I memorized the entire poem while eating cookies and reading about the histories of Gil-Galad."

"That is quite a feat."

"It was difficult to remember which lines came from the actual poem when I recited it and what came from the ballads Gil-Galad sang while marching to battle," Legolas said thoughtfully.

Elladan grinned. "I saw you sorting books afterwards in the library."

"We are leaving behind the point of this discussion," Elrond reminded him. "Thranduil asked us to do this."

"If I were to draw memories and experiences from my time with Lord Katar, I do not think anyone could look at them without cringing," Legolas said. "I . . . cringe when I think about it."

Elrohir looked at the sketchbook page again. "I do not feel the same way I did when Elladan and I drew this. I feel as if . . . I can trust you not to hurt us in this manner again. When we upset you, we do not feel the same . . . freezing fear we used to."

Elladan coughed and Elrohir hastily amended, "When you took me to your room after I hit Elladan, I was scared. I . . . thought of the hairbrush and pain while you closed the door and I wanted to run. But you were kind. And I now have something I can remember in the future when you punish me so I will not feel so scared."

Elrond ruffled his hair.

"I used to tell myself and you how much it hurt me to spank you—to punish you," Celebrian said from her rocking chair. Arwen slept in her lap. "You remember. Elrond said it to. I feel free from saying that now because I do not have to hurt you."

"We like being punished as much as anybody," Elrohir said. "But . . . it is different being shown the right way without the wrong way being visualized through pain. It is different actually being taught what wrong we committed and being guided in the right way instead of . . . being scolded and spanked."

"And I am glad your mother and I can give you happiness while leading you in the right direction; I am glad my eyes are open now and I am not hurting you in the name of a lie," Elrond said.

"I have seen your hand go back at times when we annoy you," Elrohir said.

"Yes," Elrond admitted. "But I try not to let it fall. And I am glad the tests of my ability not to spank you are blessedly at an end!"

Elladan grinned. "We satisfied ourselves you and Celebrian meant your word."

"We do. And we wish you would call us ada and nana again," Celebrian said. She touched Arwen's cheek. "We miss hearing it from you."

Elrohir and his twin looked down. "We are not ready yet."

Elrond put his arms around the twins' shoulders and hugged them. "I understand. I will wait and not push until you are ready."

"Would you do it again?" Elladan asked. He pointed to a second drawing in the sketchbook. "Would you turn us over your knees and spank us?"

Elrond looked at the sketch and shook his head. "No. It is easier to hold you on my lap, knowing I am not cuddling you on the same knees I pinned you down to and hit. And I think it is easier for you to."

The twins nodded. "Yes. It is easier to come sit on you lap or rest our head on your knees, knowing we were not held down to them hours or days before."

"The withdrawal of violence from family life opens doors for love to flow in truth," Legolas said. "I learned that when Master Gillian said—"

"We have heard quite enough about what Master Gillian said over the course of this discussion," Elrond cut in. "I do not think I can stand another quote from anywhere."

Legolas brushed the cookie crumbs off his lap and leaned his neck back against the sofa. "I miss Landion. I do not mind being a part of this conversation, of course, but I miss him. I know he is pain."

"I have done all I can to remove the arrowhead," Elrond said. He smiled. "But it is stubborn and will not come out."

Legolas turned his head. "It is not your fault. I know everyone is doing all they can."

Sometimes everything is not enough, Elrond thought.

"I sort of wish Harune would come home," Legolas admitted, picking at the threads of the couch.

"Harune could do no more for Landion then what is being done for him now," Elrond said gently.

For a brief moment Legolas looked like he disagreed but he remained silent and focused on his fingers. Elrond closed the sketchbook as Arwen woke up and slid off her mother's lap to come to him.

* * *

Vandril watched as Landion turned his head away from the liquid held to his lips with a disgusted mutter. Healer Jailil sighed and made him drink it before he moved away from the elfling and shook out the blankets.

"His fever is no better," Healer Jailil said. "Neither is it worst."

"He will fade in this state," Vandril protested. "I cannot stand here and watch my son die!"

Landion screamed and Healer Jailil hurried to his side.

"No!" Landion howled, his hoarse voice turning into a cough. "N-no!"

"Let me try," Vandril said, ducking past the Healer to take Landion's hand.

Landion's eyes fluttered and he coughed again. He tried to jerk his hand back and turned his head away as Vandril smoothed a cool clothe over his head forehead.

"Gwador nin," he choked, trying to open his eyes. He shrieked again and Healer Jailil pinched his lips as he moved Vandril's hand off Landion's.

"As much as you wish it, I do not think Landion can draw any comfort from your presence," he said. The healer looked over his shoulder. "Galion, will you be so kind as to see if King Thranduil is available?"

No one saw the angry frown on Vandril's face.

* * *

 **Vandril seems to be lining himself up to do something terrible . . . But Elrond and the twins had a nice talk.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! I love hearing from you.**

 **I would also like to invite you all to my forum, Elves and Drow (the link is on my profile). It is an easy place to chat and, in the event anyone needs to post a quick note about story status or updates, it is a great place for that to. Like me, for example. I am off to see Grandma for the holidays and, as such this chapter is being posted hastily and early. The next update might be a day late!**

 **Thank you for understanding.**

 **Next Chapter: Harune must be called.**


	96. I Felt Cool

"My lord, I know this may not be the best of times but it might be best to call Harune home," Healer Jailil said gently.

Thranduil moved his hand from Landion's weak, hot grip and clasped his hands in his lap. He nodded, his lips pinched thin. "It is growing worst. I can tell."

"I know you do not want to worry him," Healer Jailil said, reaching down to clasp Thranduil's hand. "But he needs to be here if . . ."

Thranduil cried out, "No! Do not stay it!"

"You might have to accept it," Healer Jailil said kindly.

Thranduil swallowed and wiped the tears from his eyes. "I-I cannot accept it—even if I have to, I will never accept it. He is a part of me! How can this have happened so swiftly? Why is life so cruel?"

Healer Jailil offered his friend a shoulder to sob into and comforted him, knowing the tears would help Thranduil come to terms with the situation after the last drops had fallen from his eyes.

The elf king sat back and drew in a deep breath, nodding at Healer Jailil. He heard Landion's ragged breathing and his heart cracked at the thought of Harune reading a short note on the tragedy in the middle of his happiness in the Iron Hills.

Thranduil drew himself up and beckoned to Galion outside the door. "Galion, you are to send Harune a note by the fastest bird we have to the Iron Hills. It will read: Landion's father here to reclaim him. Landion shot by orc arrow. May be dying. Come at once."

Galion gave a quick bow and sprinted in the direction of the bird tower. Thranduil bit his lip as he saw Legolas's eyes and his son dashed into the room, demanding, "Is it true?"

Thranduil looked at Landion. "I think you can make your own judgment. You know he is not recovering."

"What—what will we do now?" Legolas choked.

Thranduil put a hand on Legolas's shoulder as Healer Jailil and Elrond stood beside him. "Now we put our all into making sure Landion is alive when Harune reaches home."

Legolas chomped down on his lip to keep it from trembling and nodded.

"None of us want him to die, little leaf," Thranduil said, hugging Legolas to him. "We will do everything we can to make sure he does not."

Legolas looked away. "Everyone keeps telling me that. But it is not making Landion better."

Healer Jailil glanced at the bed to make sure Landion slept before he left the room with Elrond at his side. Thranduil knew he walked to return to crafting a medicine strong enough to kill Landion's infection.

"Come," Thranduil said, rising with Legolas in his arms. "We will go eat lunch. I am sure the twins will be waiting for us."

Elladan, Elrohir, Glorfindel, Celebrian and Arwen were seated at the table when Thranduil entered and lowered Legolas into his chair.

"Elrond will not be joining us," Thranduil said as he sat.

Celebrian provided Arwen with a plate of bread pudding and kept a napkin at the ready in case of spills. "We know the healers here want to find a cure for Landion and Elrond wants to help."

Thranduil swept a hand through his hair and nodded as dug into his steaming food.

"I miss Erestor," Glorfindel said with a small sigh. "Has it been two years since I last saw him?"

"You will find him with a wife and a new-born child when you return home," Celebrian said. She smiled. "The baby was several months old when I left but Ariel and Erestor had not named him yet."

"You will end life an old bachelor if you are not careful, Glorfindel," Thranduil teased.

The balrog-slayer chuckled. "I find life enjoyable as it is. If I happen to chance across the right woman to honey my life, perhaps I will not be a bachelor after all. Now then, pass the syrup."

* * *

Celebrian rolled over, careful not to wake Arwen, and propped herself up in bed. In the cold moonlight, she saw Elrond sitting in a chair at the opposite wall, his head in his hands.

"Elrond?" Celebrian asked quietly, slipping out of bed and walking to put some wood on the fire in the heart before joining her husband. "What troubles you? Have the twins done something?"

Elrond looked up and rubbed his eyes. "No. I tucked them into bed and left them in good spirits. Our sons bring a light into my life I have never felt before ever since I stopped spanking them."

Celebrian helped herself to the second chair with a smile. "Is it Landion?"

"Healer Jailil and I composed a new mixture and spread it into his injury," Elrond said. "You know how troublesome it is to my spirit when a patient is dying."

Celebrian looked down at her hands. "So he is dying."

Elrond shifted. "Yes. I have to admit to it. Why do you think I am troubled? The last thing I want is for him—for anyone—to die."

"You are doing all you can, hervenn nin," Celebrain soothed him. "How can you blame yourself when you can do no more?"

Elrond sat back in his chair. "I feel . . . saddened. But let us not let my feelings invade upon our rest; let us sleep."

Celebrian rose to her feet but stopped as the door opened and a face appeared. Elrond recognized the elf as Pine, Healer Jailil's apprentice son.

"Lord Elrond," Pine said crisply. "Forgive me for intruding. My father bids you come at once to the healing wing concerning developments with Landion. It is urgent."

"Valar be merciful," Elrond murmured as he dashed from the room.

"Celebrian?" Elladan gasped from the dark hallway. He stopped Pine from closing the door and entered the room. "Is Landion dead?"

"I do now know, ion nin," Celebrian said, holding out her hands. "We will have to wait for Elrond's return to know. I know you are troubled; come sleep with me."

Elladan looked over his shoulder at his brother as he climbed into the warm bed and helped himself to a pillow. Celebrian spread the blankets over her and her sons and folded an arm under her head. She could see the twins' troubled eyes in the corner of her vision.

* * *

Healer Jailil met Elrond outside the door to Landion's room with his hand on the knob. At Elrond's drawn expression, he explained, "I have not sent for you to pull the cloth over Landion's head. I want a second opinion."

Elrond entered as the healer pushed open the door and crossed to Landion's bed. He noticed the elfling looked cooler. He slept without tossing and the flush in his cheeks was a mere pink. Without daring to hope, he brushed the hair from Landion's face and felt his forehead.

Healer Jailil tilted his head to one side as Elrond's shoulders sagged in relief. "His fever is broken."

Healer Jailil nodded. "I have sent another of my apprentices to impart the good news to Thranduil so he may sleep peacefully. I wished to have second expert opinion, though, before I allowed myself the freedom to breath. Please, do not linger here; I will see to Landion."

"You remind me of Harune in your tireless plunge forward after your work," Elrond remarked.

Healer Jailil smiled. "All the craftsmasters here are energetic when it comes to their skills."

Elrond nodded and closed the door behind him. Healer Jailil gave a small sigh and reached to hold Landion's hand as the elfling murmured in his sleep, "Ada. I want ada. Please ada?"

A bowl of the poultice he and Elrond made earlier in the day sat on the table beside him, to be applied to Landion's wound every other hour to keep the infection from coming back and plaguing the elfling. But Healer Jailil knew all that plagued Landion now was that he wanted his father.

And his father was not here.

* * *

 **Landion is beginning to heal! But will he want to keep healing with Vandril there?**

 **Thank you so much for reading; you all contribute something to the next chapter of the story and, as always, I love hearing from you.**

 **A very Merry Christmas to you all!**

 **Next Chapter: Landion weeps for Harune.**


	97. I Feel Pain

"Healer Jailil, what are we to do?" Pine gasped, fighting to hold Landion down as the elfling howled and arched off the bed. "He will hurt himself; perhaps even drive the arrowhead in deeper!"

"Ada!" Landion screamed, struggling to throw off Pine. "Ada!"

Pine grunted as his fellow winced with the impact of Landion's foot in the side of his face. "We cannot hold him down much longer, ad—Healer Jailil."

Healer Jailil's calm voice sounded trained and for once he did not have the energy to scold his son for almost calling him 'ada' while on duty.

"The mixture is almost ready."

"How long will it last?" Pine asked, his words drowned out by Landion's next unearthly shriek as he howled for an elf a forest away.

Healer Jailil hurried to the bedside with the glass in his hand. He leaned over the elfling, murmuring to calm him but Landion hissed, his eyes rolling his head.

"Ad—ack," Landion coughed on the liquid Healer Jailil tipped down his throat and tried to spit it up but the hand clamped over his mouth prevented it. His teeth snapped into the Healer's hand as he choked down the bitter mix.

Healer Jailil removed his hand with a pained expression and a murmured an apology, his face sympathetic. Landion's screamed pleas softened before his arching body went limp and he fell flat into a restless sleep.

Pine wiped his forehead and shook the tangled blankets out over the elfling. "He will wake up, Healer Jailil. And this mix does not last as long as we would like."

Healer Jailil nodded. "I will assign Syro and Tir to look after Landion. It is the middle of the night, my apprentices. Go rest."

Pine gestured to his fellow and left the room, hearing Landion's restless whispers in his sleep for his father. Healer Jailil walked in circles, his hand on his chin, and resumed pacing even after Syro and Tir arrived. Both elves were rumpled from their hasty rush from bed but Healer Jailil said nothing.

Two long hours later Syro and Tir, dozing in their chairs after a long day mixing herbs, were awakened to the sound of the most horrible screaming either of them had lived to hear. Hearts fluttering in rising panic, the elves hastened to hold Landion down as he shrieked half-asleep.

Healer Jailil arrived a moment later with Thranduil beside him. The elf king sat down beside Landion's thrashing body and took the elfling in his arms, wincing as a grasping hand raked through his hair. He held Landion to his chest, rocking him.

Landion's howls turned to gentle sobs as his eyelids fluttered. "Ada . . . ada—ada—ada . . . ada."

Thranduil said nothing but he pulled Landion closer and rubbed his back.

Healer Jailil moved away from his meeting with Elrond at the door. "It is a rare form of nightmaritis, my lord. It does not occur often, usually after a deeply traumatic experience. Landion is caught in an endless nightmare. He cannot wake up."

"Surely it can be cured?" Thranduil gasped, as if freeing Landion would be sobbing in his arms forever.

"It is difficult to bring a person out of a dream," Healer Jailil said. "Landion's spirit will need a lot of love and assurance before he can break free of his nightmare and come to realize his life is nothing to fear."

Thranduil bit his lip. "He needs Harune."

Both Elrond and Healer Jailil ducked their heads. "You will be able to do so much for him. The least you can do is keep him from screaming."

Thranduil stroked Landion's hair. "I will stay with him until Harune returns home. Please send Galion to me with ink and a parchment."

Harune's apprentice appeared in answer to the summons moments later. He bowed to his king.

"Galion," Thranduil said. "How much of your training have you covered?"

"I have familiarized myself with every field Harune covers, my lord," Galion said. "I am not an expert in any fields yet."

Thranduil took the parchment and pen Galion held and leaned over Landion to write. " _I, King Thranduil Oropherion, hereby appoint you, Galion Heronion, interim King of Mirkwood until such time when I am able to resume my duties._ Galion, you will find my mantle and crown in my chambers. If you are in need of any assistance, Hyrondal will be at your disposal. Glorfindel has agreed to offer advice on any matters you are unsure about."

Harune's apprentice blinked, fighting to hold his undisturbed composure as he took the paper with a blank face and rolled it tight between his hands. "Of course, my lord."

He left the room with a slightly dazed expression.

"Are you certain putting such a great burden on his shoulders is wise?" Elrond asked. "He is young."

"He is also Harune's apprentice. I know he serves time with all the Craftsmasters in Mirkwood to develop a wide array of skills and I am certain there would have come a time when Harune would have asked if he could assist me. Galion will be fine."

Healer Jailil cleared his throat as Landion sniffled in his sleep. "Thranduil, with all due respect, I do not think being shot with an orc arrow would result in the kind of trauma bringing about nightmaritis."

"You think it is Vandril?"

"I do. I think Vandril's presence causes Landion to fear for his future. He does not want to be ripped away from his father."

Thranduil felt the quaking boy in his arms and realized, for the sake of his little brother's life, he may have to make a choice he did not wish to face.

* * *

"Where is King Thranduil?" Vandril demanded.

Galion let out a quiet breath. "He is occupied. I am interim King of Mirkwood until he is able to resume his duties. How may I help you?"

"I come to see my son."

"Landion is not well. He is deep in the throes of a severe case of nightmaritis and undisturbed peace is what he needs."

"I would like to see him," Vandril insisted.

"There is not anything to see," Galion answered. "If you care about Landion, you will let him rest."

"Respectfully, my lord, I request a few minutes with Healer Jailil."

Galion have a quick nod of his head.

* * *

Vandril entered the Head Healer's office and inclined his head as Healer Jailil looked up. The elf put down the papers in his hand and rose to his feet, an indecipherable emotions flickering in his dark eyes.

"How is my son?" Vandril requested.

"As you know, Landion is not well. Nightmaritis can be hard to cure without the right person to help the victim out of the nightmare. I do not think you can be of much use to Landion now; your presence seems to upset him."

"When Landion is healed, with all due respect, his home will be with me."

Healer Jailil tilted his head back. "And with all due respect, Vandril, as a father you know children need to be where they are loved and cared for. I ask you to please consider Landion's happiness before you make a decision. It may be Landion's home is not with you, no matter how badly you wish it to be so."

* * *

Ariel held up the plate of cookies as an elfling opened the door. "I brought these for your mother, Josefil. May I come in?"

The boy held open the door and nodded. "Please do. Nana is in the family room with Natoya."

Ariel glanced at the boy as she passed. She knew the way to the family room. Josefil trailed behind with obvious intentions of pinching a cookie as soon as she put the plate down. In the doorway, she paused.

Natoya was sitting on the floor, waving a letter opener from a low table in her hands. Ricel and her husband, Wyn, were bent over a letter and did not notice her. The edge of the letter opener looked sharp to Ariel and she stepped forward to take it from Natoya before she hurt herself.

"I Josef!" Natoya proclaimed happily. "See me, nana!"

Ricel glanced up to humor her and gave a sharp gasp. She sprang to her feet. "Put it down, Natoya, now!"

"I Josef!" Natoya insisted, waving the dagger-like instrument.

"Natoya!" Ricel said sharply. "Put it down."

Ariel bit her lip as Ricel spanked the girl on the bottom and picked up the letter opener as Natoya dropped it and burst into tears. She frowned as Ricel put the opener back on the low table and picked Natoya up.

"Give the cookies to your mother with my best wishes," Ariel said, handing the plate to Josefil. "Thank you for seeing me in."

Josefil reached for a cookie and shrugged and Ariel strode purposefully out of the house as if the floor burned and took the hill up to her own front door. She picked up Nightwing as he met her at the door and marched into the living room to find her husband. She smiled as she saw Erestor buried under a heap of cushions.

"I made a fort," Nightwing said happily.

Ariel put him down and teased her husband with a smile. "Come then, ion nin, let us attack the enemy."

* * *

 **Vandril must accept or deny his truth and in doing so either condemn or free Landion from his suffering. All speed to Harune!**

 **Guest: Thank you so much for reading. As you can see, Landion's fate is still undecided!**

 **Wishing you all had a very Merry Christmas!**

 **Thank you all for reading. I love hearing from you and your thoughts always brighten my day.**

 **Next Chapter: Thranduil takes desperate measures . . .**


	98. I Feel Loved

Glorfindel paused in the hallway as he heard sniffling. A cracked door to an unused chamber to his left attracted his attention and he pushed it open fully. The sniffling sounded louder as he advanced into the room.

"Legolas?" Glorfindel cried as he came stumbled across the elfling huddled in the corner. The elfling sat with his head buried in his knees, his shoulders shaking.

Glorfindel knelt down by the elfling and touched his shoulder. "Legolas, what is the matter? Are you hurt?"

Legolas wiped his nose. "Ad-ada gave his crown to Galion. I went to find ada but Galion was on the throne. He—he would never give up the crown unless Landion was—was dying."

Legolas broke into sobs again and leaned his head against Glorfindel's shoulder. The balrog-slayer patted Legolas's back. "I am sure your father knows what he is doing, penneth nin. He will relieve Galion of his temporary duties when Landion is better."

"I feel like a puppet," Legolas said in misery.

"Oh?" Glorfindel questioned.

"Puppets are held up by strings. My strings are ada, Harune, and Landion. If one of the strings is cut, I-I will be left hanging on the edge of a cliff."

"Landion will not die," Glorfindel insisted. "He will live."

"I-I thought he would," Legolas admitted. "But we both know he is falling."

"That is no reason to give up hope."

Legolas sniffled. "I am trying but all I see is Landion dead and—and I cannot stop thinking about it. It hurts. And even if Landion lives, Vandril will take him away."

Glorfindel let the elfling nuzzle into his arms and rest his head against his chest. "I am sure your father will not allow Landion to be taken from people who love him, Legolas. Now come, sitting on this dark floor is not pleasant. Let us go to the couch."

"I am still scared," Legolas sniffed as Glorfindel picked him up and walked to the living room.

"There is no shame in admitting to your feelings," Glorfindel said kindly.

The living room was empty as Glorfindel sank down into a chair by the fire and sat Legolas on his lap. He knew the elfling would leave if he wanted to be somewhere else but Legolas stayed.

Dusk settled outside as Legolas dozed on his lap. Elrond delivered Glorfindel a plate of hot food and he ate over Legolas's head without waking the elfling. As he put down the plate on the table beside him and leaned his head back, the door opened and Thranduil slipped in.

Glorfindel looked up in surprise. "Surely Landion needs you?"

"A tea is keeping him under sleep," Thranduil answered. "And I could not rest feeling Legolas's pain. I will be called when I am needed."

Glorfindel released Legolas as Thranduil lifted his son into his arms.

"Ada?" Legolas said, rubbing his eyes.

Thranduil tucked a strand of Legolas's hair behind his ear and smiled at him. "Hello, little leaf. Come, let us eat dinner together."

"Is Landion alive?"

Glorfindel left the room, thinking he should check in on Galion as father and son sat down to eat from the steaming trays a servant carried into the room.

"Will you put me to sleep?" Legolas asked.

Thranduil hugged his son to him. "If there is time. I know you are worried about Landion but there is no need to fear he will die. Your world will not come crashing down around you."

Legolas looked into his father's eyes and nodded.

* * *

Landion coughed against Thranduil's shirt as the elf king held him and rubbed his back. Landion's tears threatened to choke him but he could not stop their flow.

Vandril stood in the doorway, his arms folded and his eyes displeased as Thranduil rocked. His stance told the world he wished he could be the one in Thranduil's place, that he hated being pushed away by his child.

Thranduil drifted into tired sleep as Landion stopped whimpering and slept, his breathing uneven against Thranduil's shirt. Vandril's gaze seemed to haunt his sleep and he wished Healer Jailil would take the elf away.

Hours later Thranduil felt Landion's strange breathing and awoke with a jolt. As he searched for a reason, he realized Landion's breathing seemed strange because it was normal after weeks of being forced. Landion's hands on his shirt held tight and the elfling's clear green eyes looked into his as Landion looked up at him and grinned.

Relief flooded across him as Thranduil hugged his brother to him. "Landion! Oh, Landion, you are back!"

He could tell his brother's strength needed time to come back to him for Landion rested his head and curled closer to him without words, his eyes turned away from Vandril in the doorway.

Running feet sounded and elves dashed into the room, one dressed in black traveling clothes and gloves. Healer Jailil accompanied him and Vandril looked up with a frown, as the traveler demanded, "Where is my son?"

He wrenched off his gloves and cloak as he spoke, leaving the folds on the floor and scrambled to the bed, reaching for Landion. "Ion nin, ion nin, are you alright?"

Strength flooded back into Landion's limbs and the elfling bolted upright, reaching out his arms and crying, "Ada!"

Thranduil's feet hit the ground as he left the bed and tugged off Harune's dirt-crusted boots. He raised a hand to his eyes to flick away a tear as Landion buried himself in Harune's embrace, his choked sobs filling the room. But though they were tears, Thranduil knew the tears were happy ones.

Harune smoothed Landion's hair and settled back against the pillows, pulling the blankets to Landion's shoulders. He wrapped his arms around his son, rested his cheek on Landion's head and rocked him.

Healer Jailil let out a deep breath and closed the door after Thranduil and Vandril. "Thank the valar above. All is well now."

"There is still the arrowhead," Thranduil reminded him.

"And it is an arrowhead I cannot remove without killing Landion. It is unfortunate but I believe Landion will have no choice but to live with it."

"All is not well for me," Vandril said. "I desire the return of my son. As seeing as your father is home, my lord, the termination of Landion's time with Harune can be done swiftly."

Thranduil felt as if a heavy cloak smothered him in folds he could not escape from. His shoulders slumped further as he realized a conversation with Harune would not be pleasant.

Healer Jailil whirled away to tend to his duties and Thranduil found himself alone with Vandril. He turned to face the elf, feeling desperation well within him and hoped it would not show in his eyes. For his brother, he would do anything.

"For fifty thousand gold pieces, will you disappear?"

Vandril's eyebrows rose. "I am sorry, my lord, but I will not 'disappear' for any price. You know well no father would abandon his child."

As Vandril strode up the hall, Thranduil sank down on a bench and buried his face in his hands. He had tried.

* * *

"Ada?" Landion said into the darkness. "Were you told about—about Vandril?"

Harune stirred beside him and reached for his hand. "If he is the elf who was once your father, yes."

"He wants to take me away from home."

Harune squeezed his hand. "While I am here, Landion, no one will take you from me. I give you my word."

"My side hurts."

"Healer Jailil will bring you tea for the pain. The arrowhead is still inside you."

"I cannot live with it inside me, ada."

"I know, ion nin. But to dig so deep inside you will risk your life and Healer Jailil has no wish to end you," Harune replied.

"I feel better with you here. But I am sorry I ruined your time in the Iron Hills."

"You ruined nothing, Landion. Never would I trade the life of my son for the world. I left as soon as I received Thranduil's letter."

"I am tired."

Harune smiled in the darkness. "Then go to sleep."

"Will you sing to me?"

Harune obliged.

* * *

Ariel almost tripped over the hem of her dress as she saw Nightwing with Hewlin's dagger in his hands. He looked up at her, his dark eyes laughing, and held out the knife. "I am ada now!"

Ariel thought of the sharp blade spilling Nightwing's blood and winced. Her heart wanted to freeze and she wanted to yell like Ricel had but that was not her way. She did not want to frighten her son or confuse him. She kept calm and smiled as she approached Nightwing, "I see, my little night."

Nightwing looked up at her in confusion as Ariel leaned down and took the knife out of his hands. She slid it into its sheath and put it out of reach on the high bookshelf beside Nightwing. The elfling toddled to his feet and looked up at the dagger. He reached up his hands for it. "Mine, na! Mine!"

"Big people only," Ariel said.

Tears welled up in Nightwing's eyes as he tried to reach the dagger. "No! Mine!"

"Your knife is in the kitchen," Ariel told him. "That one is for big people only." She held out her hand. "Come, let us go help Erestor in the kitchen. You can use your little knife to cut mushrooms."

Nightwing looked back at the dagger with wistful eyes before he took her hand and made for the kitchen door. "I grow big fast."

Ariel laughed. "I am sure you will, my little night. But right now we like you small."

She went to Erestor's aid as her husband turned from the counter with a desperate expression. He held a fish in one hand and knife in the other, and exclaimed in annoyance, "I cannot get the scales off this . . . this _thing_!"

Ariel laughed. "You help Nightwing cut mushrooms. I will take care of this fish!"

* * *

 **Harune is back. And already Landion is feeling better. It will soon be time for Harune to speak to Vandril.**

 **Thank you for reading. Your comments and thoughts always add to the next chapter of the story!**

 **The next update will occur on the 1st day of 2019! After that, updates will be posted once every four days instead of three.**

 **Next Chapter: Harune and Vandril _talk._**


	99. I Must Do This

Landion cracked his eyes open, squinting into the sun slanting through a crack in the curtains. He turned his head, searching for Harune, but his father shared not the bed with him. His eye fell on the roll of surgical tools beside the bed, left by Healer Jailil. He could hear Harune's voice outside the door and listened.

* * *

"You have made it quite clear you wish to have your son back," Harune said. "But Landion is hurting right now. As a father, I know you want him to be where he will be happy. And you might have to accept he cannot be happy with you."

Vandril folded his arms. "If I had your son and you wished him back, I would not stand in the way of the reunion. Landion is my son, not yours, and he never should have been yours."

"I do not own Landion," Harune said, his voice growing cold. "No parent owns their child. I look after him while he is too small to do so. I stand in your way, Vandril, not because I wish to keep your son from you but because I am worried about his happiness; because I am worried you do not have his best interests in mind."

"I. Am. His. Father," Vandril hissed, leaning into Harune's face. "It is you who wishes to kill him."

Harune raised an eyebrow. "I do not wish to kill him. I urged Healer Jailil to try and remove the arrowhead. With it inside him, Landion will not be able to run and climb and I know he enjoys it. I do not want him to lead a crippled life."

"You know well removing the arrowhead will kill him. Do you not care for him?"

"Healer Jailil does not want to risk Landion's life and he refused my urging. I will not press harder, nor risk Landion's life but I will pose the option," Harune replied. "I do not understand why you have returned. Landion said you left his life years ago."

"He is a child and he does not understand my reasons. I left for him," Vandril said, a note of sadness coming into his voice.

"The time between you brought Landion the death of his family. Your long absence does not fill the void of a father for him."

Vandril let out an angry breath. "I want the chance to be his father again. He is all I have left in this world and I cannot let him go."

Healer Jailil opened the door to Landion's room to assure himself, despite the angry elven voices, Landion still slept. He stopped short with his hand on the knob and gasped in horror.

Harune's reply was cut off by the strangled sound and he joined Healer Jailil at the door. The Healer tried to enter the room but Harune held him back. "NO! Let me."

"Gracious Valar above, he will kill himself, Harune!" Healer Jailil cried.

"Keep Vandril out," Harune snapped, silencing the Healer with the glare in his eyes.

Blood dripped to the sheets behind him as Landion struggled with mirror, tweezers, and knife; his teeth clenched shut as he dug for the arrowhead inside him. He heard Harune crossing the floor and his heart filled with desperation; he did not want his father to stop him.

Harune said nothing if the sight disturbed or disappointed him. He took the mirror from Landion's bloodstained hand and held it so Landion could see the wound in his side. Landion's heart unclenched.

Vandril fought with Healer Jailil in the doorway, surprised at the elf's strength. "Let me go, curse you! Harune is a fool—you are fools—to let Landion gouge his insides out! If you do not have the sense to stop him, I will."

Landion felt blood in his mouth as he bit into his lip, cutting back a whimper as tears threatened to blur his eyes. How it hurt. He dropped the knife and tweezers to the floor and sagged back against the pillows, his hands clenched shut.

Healer Jailil released Vandril and called to the nearest Healers in the hall as he dashed to Landion's side and swiftly cleaned the wound. Landion screamed as the stinging tincture touched the wound. Harune held his hand as Healer Jailil worked with swiftness to bind herbs and bandages over the cut. Two Healers changed the soiled sheets to fresh ones as Harune held Landion in his arms.

"Do not go. Please do not go," Landion murmured as Harune lowered him to the cool sheets. He clutched for his father's hand.

"I would not leave you for the world," Harune assured him as he pressed Landion to his side, keeping an arm around his son's shoulders.

Landion swallowed and unclenched his hand. Harune blinked as tears popped into his eyes. Among the lines of dried blood, the orc arrowhead lay on Landion's palm.

"I wanted to," Landion croaked but Harune put a finger on his lips.

"You are tired, ion nin. Save your words for later."

* * *

Elrond and Celebrian quickened their pace as they heard Arwen wailing and Elladan yelling. The pair burst into the warm living room, flushed from their walk outside and found not happy children but Arwen wailing on the floor amidst torn pieces of paper, frightened by Elladan's angry voice.

"She is a hateful child!" Elladan cried as his parents entered. "Look at what she has done!"

Elrond picked up Arwen and left the room with her in his arms.

"You do not yell at your sister, Elladan," Celebrian scolded. "She is a baby."

"She tore my drawing in half! I can never make it again! And I hate her!" Elladan shouted.

"You do not have to yell; I can hear you. We both know, Elladan, to Arwen, your drawing is a piece of paper. She is too young to tear it purposefully. I am sorry she destroyed your drawing but you cannot yell at her; it scares her."

Elladan wiped at the tears sliding down his face, the torn pieces of his drawing clutched in his hand.

"What good will hating your sister do?" Celebrian asked, putting her arms around Elladan and hugging him as he burst into tears again. She sat on the sofa and rubbed his back until his tears stopped.

Elladan wiped his eyes and looked in misery at the torn pieces of paper in his hand. "I-I am sorry I shouted at her. I was angry and I-I could not help it."

His lips twitched as he looked at the paper in his hands again. Celebrian ran her hand down his hair. "I know it is not easy to lose something you love."

"Am I to be punished?" Elladan asked blandly.

"No; I think you have lost enough to teach you not to leave things you care about in Arwen's reach. You will not yell at her again either."

Elladan sniffed and slid to the floor. He walked to the fire and let the torn pieces of his drawing drift into the hearth. He watched as the flames left behind crinkled black ash with faint lines of pencil on it.

"Will you punish her?"

Celebrian came to stand beside him. "For what? Tearing what is to her another piece of paper? No. But remember to keep things you want out of her hands, please."

Elladan nodded. His mother left the room to see how Arwen was and Elladan sat down by the fire. He drew his legs up to his knees and tried to focus on anything but the thoughts floating in his head. He stared into the flames and blinked as they turned to form shapes of past memories.

Elladan looked away. He knew he would have been spanked for shouting at his sister in an old life.

"Do you want me to sit with you?"

Elladan glanced over his shoulder as Elrond came into the room and shut the door. He nodded and leaned on Elrond's shoulder as his father sat beside him.

"Are you alright?"

"I am sad my drawing is gone," Elladan answered. "I-I cannot help contrasting what would have happened to me before . . ."

Elrond leaned down to kiss his forehead as Elrohir bounced into the room through the door.

"Elladan?" Elrohir asked with a flash of worry in his eyes.

Elladan sat up and waved to his twin. "I am alright. Come sit with us?"

Elrohir slid to his knees on Elrond's free side. His eyes fell on the charred paper in the fire and he asked, "What happened?"

Elladan explained. After he finished, the twins sat in silence with Elrond's arms around them.

"I am glad we came here," Elrohir said at last. "If I had lived the past three years in Rivendell, I am not sure there would be much of me left."

"Thank you for not spanking us," Elladan said, meeting Elrond's eyes.

A lump swelled in Elrond's throat. "You do not have to thank me for doing the right thing, Elladan."

"We thank you for _not_ doing the wrong thing," Elladan answered. He looked down at his hands. "We know is has not been easy."

Celebrian set down a tray of steaming cups on the floor and joined them. "I brought cocoa. Arwen is sleeping. Shall we play a game of scribbles?"

"If you promise to draw your best," Elladan said, eying her with a critical expression. "I had ever so much trouble trying to see what you made last time."

"It was a cat," Celebrian insisted.

"Really? I tell you it was a moss-covered rock."

"Fetch my pencils," Elrohir called after his brother as Elladan ran to retrieve paper. "And ask Legolas if he wants to join us."

"Legolas is sleeping with Thranduil," Celebrian said.

"Oh," Elrohir paused. "I suppose he must be tired after being up with Landion."

* * *

Legolas turned in bed and snuggled closer to Thranduil. He groped as he realized his father was gone and bolted upright in bed, afraid Thranduil may have been called to Landion's dying side.

The sound of the poker stoking up the fire had never sounded so good. Flames flickered in the hearth, casting shadows onto the wall. Thranduil returned to bed.

"Nightmare?" he asked.

Legolas shook his head and plumped his pillow as he lay down. Thranduil put an arm around him and pulled the blankets up. For a long minute, father and son lay in warm silence.

"Ada," Legolas said. "Is Landion alright?"

"He is with Harune and could not be better," Thranduil answered.

"But when he is able to leave bed, Vandril will try to take him away. I know he will."

"You need not worry yourself with such thoughts, little leaf. Leave such worrying to me and Harune."

"I do not want Landion to be taken away," Legolas whimpered.

"No one will take Landion from the place he belongs. I give you my word," Thranduil murmured. "Now back to sleep; you have not slept well the past few days and you need rest."

"It smells nice in here," Legolas said as he rolled onto his side.

Thranduil yawned. "I lit incense. Do you not know the meaning of the word sleep?"

Legolas grinned and felt the world fade into darkness around him.

* * *

 **Elrond has indeed learned very well, has he not?**

 **Happy 2019! I feel so fresh and new heading into the New Year, with months of inspiration and writing before me. May this year be as full of words and inspiration and good stories as the last one!**

 **Guest: I was so glad to hear from you again! Landion is recovering now that Harune is there to help him feel safe.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading. Sharing with you is one of the things I love most. As always, I love hearing from you.**

 **Next Chapter: Vandril must make a choice . . .**


	100. I Must Go

Galion ushered an elf woman to the throne. She stopped before Thranduil, followed by a grumbling dwarf of unusual heights and three curious children.

Thranduil stared at her, the woman's hazel eyes and red hair sparking an old memory in him.

"Jade," he said slowly. "What in Middle Earth are you doing here?"

Jade grinned and held out her arms as Thranduil descended the throne to hug her. "Gwador nin, I wondered if you would remember me. The years have stretched out long since I left for the Iron Hills. We followed ada after he received your letter but he went ahead on the fastest horse. I thought it was time our children were connected with their elven heritage. Where is ada?"

"He is with Landion," Thranduil answered.

Jade gestured to the dwarf. "This is my husband, Mervyn."

"I do not suppose he will be bowing," Thranduil said and extended his hand, wincing at the tight grip he received around his fingers.

"Our children," Jade said, swinging her hand toward the children who were standing on the edge of the throne platform, looking down. "Svain, Helena, and Rocky."

"Galion will take your luggage to your rooms," Thranduil said. "Jade, if you would like to see Harune, I will see if he can be disturbed."

"When do we eat?" Svain demanded.

"Galion will escort you to the table," Thranduil answered.

Jade waved to her husband as Thranduil led her away. "Take care of the children. This palace is full of priceless things; better not break too many of them. Galion rather has a heap on his shoulders."

"Had you come a few days earlier, it would have been true," Thranduil answered. "After having been king for a week or so, Galion says he has more than enough time on his hands."

Healer Jailil met Thranduil in the hallway, casting a curious look at Jade. He answered the King's query, "Harune is awake and Landion is dozing. You may have a few minutes with him."

"I must see the elfling our father is so wrapped up in he forgot to mention to you our coming," Jade teased as Thranduil opened the door to Landion's room.

Harune had a pen between his teeth over Landion's head as he looked over a scroll of parchment. He spat out the pen at the sight of Jade and hissed, "Gracious valar, Thranduil, I omitted to mention—"

Thranduil held up a hand. "There is no need. The dwarves of the Iron Hills have allowed you to invade their tunnels; it is only fair we return the gesture. You ought to be resting."

Harune looked offended as he let the paper drift to the blanket. "I am reviewing Galion's paper. Jade, anel nin, this is Landion. Your brother."

Jade stepped silently to the edge of the bed to peek down at Landion with her head tilted to one side. "Another brother. Do not worry, ada, Onyx and I will not greet him with the same attitude with which we treated our first one." She looked at Thranduil.

"Where is Onyx?" Jade continued.

"I sent a letter to him," Harune answered. "I was concerned with Landion. I knew you would be here to meet Jade regardless, Thranduil, but Onyx lives miles into Mirkwood and, unless someone told him, he would miss his sister's visit."

Landion stirred and Healer Jailil gestured from the door. Thranduil and Jade retreated.

"I will send for you when Landion is awake," Healer Jailil said. "Right now he needs his rest."

* * *

"How is Landion?" Vandril asked.

"He is recovering swiftly," Healer Jailil answered.

"When will I be able to take him home?"

Healer Jailil looked to Harune. Harune asked, "Do you want the best for your son?"

"Every father wants the best for his child."

"Then I ask you to accept what is best for you may not be best for Landion."

Vandril raised his chin. "Landion is all I have left of—in the world. He belongs with me."

"Many are blinded by what they want," Harune said softly. "Please do not compromise Landion's life and happiness without due thought."

Vandril watched Harune enter Landion's room. He heard his son cry out and imagined him stretching out his arms for a hug. "Ada!"

"Ada is here," Harune said. The bed creaked. "Hannon le for sitting with him, Jade."

A woman came out of the room, closing the door behind her.

A harassed servant appeared in the hall, "Lady Jade, your children are wreaking havoc through the palace and I cannot rein them in."

Jade leveled an uncalled for glare at Vandril as she swept past him, took the arm of the servant, and left the healing ward, throwing her head back to chuckle with the elf as he said something to her. Healer Jailil departed as Pine came running to inform him another patient needed his attention.

Vandril secured his cloak around him and left the palace, hoping the cold, crisp air would clear his mind. He passed Thranduil and Legolas wrestling in the snow. He passed Elrohir sitting on the ground with blood streaming from his nose while Celebrian scolded Elladan and Arwen inspected the red splotches of blood on the snow with interest. He passed Elrond and Glorfindel standing under a tree while Elrond drew in the snow with a stick not intended to spank Elladan.

Vandril held his arms over his face as he crossed snowball fight territory and dozens of elflings plastered him from both sides of the path. He headed for a glade where the yells of winter enjoyed would not reach him.

* * *

Landion rolled over to snuggle against his father and awoke with a jerk as his injury inflamed. He sat up rubbing his eyes and reached for Harune, grasping at the empty blankets. He squinted at the elf bending over the fire.

"Ada?" he said,

Vandril straightened up from the blazing hearth and came to the edge of the bed.

"Where is ada?" Landion quavered.

Vandril sat down beside him. "Harune left to have dinner with the king and his family."

"I-I will scream if you try and take me," Landion warned.

Vandril reached for his hand. "I do not wish to take you, Landion. I want you to be where you are happy. I want you to be with people _you love_ and people who _love you_."

Landion could not bring himself to meet Vandril's eyes.

"I thought about it today," Vandril continued. "I do love you. But I do not think you have loved me back in a long while."

"I thought you were dead," Landion whispered.

"I still love you. But I realize now it is more of a love for a friend then a son," Vandril admitted. "I saw how Thranduil sat with you while you were ill. I saw how worried Legolas and the twins are about you and how gentle Harune is with you. I see how much you two care for each other and I do not wish to take you away from your family."

Landion's hand clutched the blankets. Vandril touched his cheek. "Harune will be back soon and I will go. I am glad you have found someone who is everything I wanted to be for you. I am glad you have found someone who does not mind you are not his son."

A confused look crossed Landion's face. He tried to speak but Vandril was gone.

* * *

Glorfindel found Elrond romping with Arwen in the warm living room. At his serious expression, Elrond put her down and rose to his feet, brushing himself off.

"This may not be the best of times," Glorfindel said, "But I am returning to Rivendell on the morrow."

Elrond took a step back. "Why?"

"I miss Erestor. I want to meet Ariel and Nightwing and, quite frankly, I am not needed here. I stayed before for your sake, to help you love the twins."

Elrond looked down as Arwen put her arms around his leg. "I understand your reasoning. I miss home as well. I will not keep you here, mellon nin."

Glorfindel nodded. "The weather is nearing spring and the snows will not come again this year. I will take four guards with me."

Elrond patted Arwen's head. "I will join you when Elladan and Elrohir are ready. I do not wish to force them."

"I will, of course, say goodbye."

Elrond scooped Arwen into his arms. "I know you will."

"Before I leave, you must promise me one thing," Glorfindel continued. "Promise me you will not spank Elladan and Elrohir."

Elrond put out a hand to clasp his shoulder. "I give you my word. You will not receive horror letters from the twins detailing spankings. I will not hurt my sons or daughter. Go in peace, Glorfindel."

* * *

 **Glorfindel has made his choice. He will have a pleasant reunion with Erestor and his growing family! What of Vandril's mysterious words? Is his choice a good one?**

 **This is Chapter 100! In celebration, here is a shout-out to everyone who has read My Word as of now! Thank you _Posher10, mycarnation, BlueFallstar, Erelil Awarthiel, Yugiyasha96, Bookworm-soul, Me And Not You 1001, AndurilofTolkien, Horsegirl01, Thaishi, Aria Breuer, Evenstar Of Hogwarts, JustHey, sapphire-deity, GreyLynx, Guest #1, Guest #2 and earthdragon_. Thank you for reading My Word and for sharing your precious thoughts to help this story grow. I would love to know you are all still here. **

**Guest: You are most welcome. Thank you for enjoying the story!**

 **Next Chapter: Landion meets his growing family.**


	101. I Had No Choice

Elrohir's shoulders slumped a little as he watched Glorfindel ride away. Elrond put a hand on his shoulders. "We will see him again, ion nin, when we follow him home."

Elrohir twisted to look at him. Elrond's eyebrows lifted as he saw a little fear in his son's eyes. He asked, " Are you scared he will be hurt on his journey home?"

Elrohir looked down and scuffled his feet. "N-no. I am . . . a little nervous because he will not be here to protect me anymore . . ."

Elrond knew Elrohir would not have admitted to his feelings in the past but despite Elrohir's willingness to open up, he still felt a flash of dismay.

"You will not need protecting, Elrohir, because I will not attack you."

Elrohir looked at him again and said nothing. After a minute he held out his hand and let Elrond take it to walk back to the palace. The snows on the ground were melting under the influence of warming weather.

Elrohir kicked a bank of snow. "I hit Elladan in the face with a snowball and made his nose bleed."

"I was there," Elrond said.

"You did not spank me. But you had a stick in your hand."

Elrond pursed his lips. "I promise I was using it to draw with and I would never have used it on you."

Elrohir looked at him again, his dark eyes piercing and for a moment Elrond saw all the pain and broken feelings he had caused in his son. Tears welled in his eyes; Elrohir's eyes bled into his heart in a way no child's eyes should bleed because of him. Elrohir's blurry head turned away but his hand stayed in Elrond's.

"I know apologies are not as valuable as actions," Elrond said. "But I am sorry for the pain I caused you in the past."

Elrohir's eyes fell to the ground. "I . . . know you have come a long way from before and I am not afraid to be with you or sleep with you and Celebrian but . . . you do not feel like a father yet. I-I am not sure you ever did . . . and I do not know what it would feel like to me if you felt like my ada . . . I want you to. I-I do not hate you."

Elrond sat down on a tree trunk and pulled Elrohir into his lap. He put his arms around his son and squeezed him until Elrohir almost choked.

"I think you will know when I feel like your father," Elrond said. "It is as Legolas said during Tarnin Austa. He was a broken acorn but when he healed and opened healthily, he knew. And you will to."

Elrohir hid the tiny tremble in his lips and nodded. Elrond patted his back. "Come now, let us return to the palace and eat some lunch. I am sure Elladan and Celebrian must be waiting."

Elrohir brightened a little. "Svain and Helena and Rocky are fun to be with. They are not like I thought half elf and half dwarf people would be. I always thought they would be . . . twisted."

"At the end of the day, we are all people," Elrond said.

* * *

Landion cracked his eyes open. And yelled as a person with a mask peered down at him. He jolted upright as the person doubled over with a laugh.

Harune scolded as he stepped into the room, "Onyx, what are you thinking? Can you not refrain from terrifying your little brothers with those awful tattoos?"

As he calmed with Harune beside him, Landion took a closer look at the person and realized it was an elf with inked tattoos extending out from under his eyes to reach in spidery lines to the lobes of his ears. His black eyes sparkled despite the black around his face. Beads and feathers were threaded through his dark hair. His limber limbs moved with ease despite his long build as he leaned back in his chair.

"This is Onyx," Harune introduced. "Your brother."

Onyx waved and came to sit on the edge of the bed. Landion asked, "Where do you live?"

Onyx gestured with his hands. "Far away. Far, far away on the southern reaches of Mirkwood."

"What do you do?"

"I am a dance master," Onyx said. "Used to be a warrior but that failed horribly after—after Sapphire died."

"Her death was not your fault or responsibility," Harune said.

"I trained for years," Oynx said. "But I could not protect her. You may not blame me but I blame myself."

"Why are you here?" Landion asked.

"Jade is visiting from the Iron Hills with her freakish husband and children," Onyx said, turning his attention back to the elfling.

"Jade?" Landion said.

"She is my—our sister," Onyx said, pointing as the woman swept through the door with Rocky on her shoulders. "I suppose being an uncle is nothing new to you."

Jade put Rocky down and smiled at Landion from the foot of the bed. "I am glad you are feeling better and healing from your wound. I had an orc arrow stuck in my leg once so I know how it feels. Mervyn dug it out."

"Humph," the dwarf said as he came through the door with Svain and Helena shoving behind him. "Quite a tumble you took."

"These are my children," Jade said, introducing the three half elf-half dwarf children standing beside her and staring with wide eyes at Landion. "Svain, Helena, and Rocky."

The children were leaner then dwarves and moved without the lumbering steps Mervyn took. Landion waved and tugged on Harune's sleeve. "Ada, where is Legolas and Thranduil?"

Harune patted his head. "They are coming, Landion. Thranduil is finishing his work and Legolas has a paper to write."

"My family has grown very big quickly," Landion said, looking around the room.

Onyx winked. "It might grow bigger yet. I dare say we all thought Thranduil would be the last but now you are here. Valar knows if you will acquire a brother or sister in another millennia."

Harune laughed. "With you around, I dare not bring any new siblings to meet you. Remember how you greeted Thranduil?"

"Little wretch emptied ink over my bed," Onyx growled.

"Is that any way to speak of your king, gwador nin?" Thranduil asked with a grin from the door. Onyx whirled around to embrace him.

"You would be surprised; the things I say about you behind your back," Onyx said with a shake of his head. He pounced on Legolas next.

"So this is the naughty little leaf who has been growing like a vine all though the palace. I have heard horrifying tales about you and an ink bottle."

"And speaking of ink bottles, what did ada empty ink onto your bed for?" Legolas asked.

"Oh, he is a demon, your father," Onyx said. "I suppose he must have found it funny."

Thranduil frowned and Jade clicked her tongue. "It was partly our fault, Onyx; we were cruel with our words. You will fill Legolas's head with untruths about his father and then what will happen?"

Onyx gave a dramatic sigh as Thranduil intervened. "It was nothing; a simple mistake."

Onyx's eyes lit up to tell the tale Thranduil wished to keep silent. The king threw up his hands and joined Landion on the bed, knowing nothing would keep Onyx quiet now.

"Jade and I were many years older then Thranduil when Harune brought him to see us again," Onyx said. "Thranduil was too little to remember previous visits or anything Jade and I said about him. But this time he was about six and he walked past Jade's bedroom as Jade and I were saying some horrible things. Oropher had just slaughtered a tribe of humans living on his borders and evoked some angry feelings in people. Jade and I—"

"You said, I listened," Jade said.

Onyx grinned. "Oh no, you said plenty. Jade and I's conversation was a sneering show over Thranduil. We said he would grow up to be like his father and he might as well have never been born if all he would contribute to the world was more cruelty. We said quite a lot more and when I returned to my room, I found ink across my bedspread.

"I stormed to complain to ada he had brought a brat into the house and entered a most awkward scene since Harune was comforting a wailing Thranduil. Ada and Sapphire collected up Jade, Thranduil, and I and sat us down for a long talk. Thranduil's terrible relationship with Oropher came to light, as well as the fact that Harune had brought Thranduil to be with us because Oropher had been spanking him at least once a day whenever he spoke out of turn."

Legolas reached for his father's hand to squeeze it. Thranduil put his arms around Legolas's neck and kissed the top of his head.

"We apologized handsomely to Thranduil for making wrong conclusions, he spent hours washing the ink out of my bedspread, and we carried on with our lives in peace," Onyx finished.

"Was . . . was Sapphire your mother?" Landion asked with hesitance in his voice, as if he feared hurting Harune's feelings.

"Yes," Harune said.

"How . . . I mean how did she die?"

Onyx's voice tied into knots. "My mother and I were out walking. We were caught in the center of an orc attack and . . . she died because I could not protect her. I left after her death so ada would not have to see me and gave up being a warrior."

Landion fiddled with the blankets. "I am sorry you had to see her die. My mother died to. Men killed her and left her naked body to rot in the hall."

Onyx winced.

"It was my fault she died," Landion said, his voice beginning to crack.

"Good iron, is everyone in this room about to melt into wax?" Mervyn exclaimed. "I do not mind a few tears but you are all making rivers without good reason and I will not you contaminating my children. Svain, Helena, Rocky, out!"

The children began to protest in heated dwarvish. Jade added, "There is nothing wrong with a few tears, dear."

"This is not a few tears, my love," Mervyn retorted.

"It was not your fault Celebrail died, Landion," Harune said quietly. "I hope you know that."

"I blamed myself for a long time," Landion said, wiping his running eyes. "I was alone and frightened the only person in the world I felt safe with would not want me. But after you became my father, I said goodbye to her and wished her a happy afterlife. I-I accepted I could not have saved her even though I wanted to."

Harune hugged him. "I have tried to show Onyx he is not to blame but he seems to want to blame himself."

"Is everyone's mother dead?" Mervyn demanded.

"Mine is," Legolas said, his voice quiet. "Elladan and Elrohir are lucky to have both their parents. The rest of us only have fathers."

Elladan and Elrohir came through the door in time to here Legolas's last words. For a moment the elflings eyes seemed to think having two parents to hurt them was worst before they brightened and waved to Landion.

"Are you feeling better?" Elrohir asked.

Landion nodded. He opened his mouth and closed it as Vandril stepped into the room.

"May I have a moment alone with Harune and Landion?" Vandril requested.

Thranduil shooed Legolas off the bed with curious eyes. "Of course. Come, Legolas, Elladan, and Elrohir. Let us respect Vandril's wishes."

Onyx stretched as he rose to his feet. He joined Thranduil and strolled out of the room. "I will be staying here until Jade leaves. I request a room and a full posse of servants to attend me or I will file a formal complaint against the service."

Thranduil laughed, the sound echoing until he shut the door behind Jade and her family. Landion looked at Vandril with some uncertainty. "Have you changed your mind?"

Vandril shook his head and clasped his hands behind his back. "No. I have come because you deserve to know why I left you and Celebrail all those years ago."

Vandril sat on the edge of the bed, watching as Harune snuggled a blanket around Landion's lower half and put an arm around his shoulders.

"Celebrail was married to a man who hurt her," Vandril said. "She ran from him while you were still growing inside her. She came to live with her sister and while there, she met me. I loved her more then the world. For that love, I was willing to try and love the child she carried that was not mine. We were married after you were born.

"I tried to love and be kind but it annoyed me when you cried at night. I will not lie; I wanted a child of my own. Six years after you were born, Celebrail got pregnant again with our child. I was happy and our lives were full.

"I came home one evening to find my dreams shattered. Celebrail's former husband returned drunk and full of rage, having hunted her down. I found him beating her in front of the hearth and you lying in the corner with blood streaming down your face, half-conscious.

"When I saw what the elf was doing to the people I cared about, I drew my dagger and I killed him. Celebrail understood my actions. But the damage she received caused the baby inside her to die and his sudden birth made it so she could never bear another child.

"We . . . told you what happened that day was a nightmare—a bad dream—you were unconscious when I wiped the blood of you and put you to bed. You believed us.

"Celebrail and I recovered from the tragedy. But the world knew what I had done; I had killed another elf. And I saw what that did to you. You were bullied and stoned and teased, and the torment stunted your soul and growth.

"Your mother and I talked and we decided, for your sake, I should leave. I left and moved to a place where no one knew me. Your mother came to see me regularly and you were able to finally grow."

"But . . . if you only loved me a little and you were willing to leave me, why have you come back?" Landion asked.

Vandril clasped his hands in his lap. "You are the last bit of the woman I loved left in the world. For her, I came back."

Landion fidgeted. "I-I cannot be your son but I can be your friend. I do not mind if you come to see me, if—if ada is alright with you coming."

"I have no objection," Harune said. "I am grateful you have shared this with us."

Vandril gave a short nod. "Being your friend suits me fine. I do not think I can be a good father to you but I am glad you have found someone who can."

Landion's hand closed over Harune's hand under the blanket. "I remember the teasing and I hated it. I thought-I thought my tormentors lied about you having killed another elf . . . I wish you had told me."

Vandril stood. "I must leave now. I will see you when I can, Landion, and I am sorry for any insecurities I caused you."

Landion nodded. "You may give me a hug, if you would like to."

Vandril reached down to hug him, holding onto the elfling for a moment longer then normal, before he waved and left the room. Landion sat still before he turned and nuzzled into Harune's chest, yawning. Harune gathered his hair into his hands and began to braid it.

* * *

 **And that is the sad truth of Landion's past and what Vandril failed to do.**

 **Of Landion's new family, who is your favorite? I have a liking for Onyx.**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I love hearing from you all and knowing you are still reading.**

 **AshNazg: I assure you I will never abandon this story. The chapters vary in length depending on where the ending point occurs but I keep each chapter above 1,000 words. Thank you so much for reading and enjoying each chapter; I put my heart and soul into every word.**

 **Next Chapter: Elladan and Elrohir cannot find forgiveness.**


	102. I Cannot Forgive

Legolas crawled into bed beside Landion and curled into a warm cacoon under the blankets. Landion reached for his hand under the covers as Harune shut the door and climbed back into bed.

"I missed you," Landion said, turning his head to look at Legolas. "I know I should be your uncle but you have always been more like a brother to me."

Legolas yawned. "I feel the same way. And I am glad I could come here after ada kicked me out of bed."

Harune looked at him as he blew out the candle. "You were not kicked out of bed, Legolas. Your father wanted to have some wine."

Legolas grinned as the room plunged into darkness. Landion said suddenly, "I know how you felt lying in bed for months on end after you fled Lord Katar. I feel so restless."

Legolas turned over and plumped the pillow under his head. "Healer Jailil told me you will be able to leave bed soon. Now can you be quiet so we can all sleep?"

Landion laughed and rolled over to snuggle against Harune's warm side.

* * *

Elrohir looked around him as he entered the dark room, Elladan's hand leaving him. A fire heated the room to an almost unbearable level, casting red light across the figure sitting in the low chair by the hearth.

Elrohir looked for a window but could find none. "Elladan?"

His voice echoed off the empty walls. The figure in the chair rose and Elrohir gasped as Elrond stepped into view with a doubled over belt in his hands. He looked for a door but the wall had sealed over it.

"You promised!" Elrohir howled, pressing himself into a cold corner.

Elrond said nothing, merely reached for his hand and pulled him out of the corner. "Bend over."

"You promised," Elrohir sobbed.

The floor gave way under him, opening into a black hole. Elrohir plummeted with a shriek, hearing his scream bouncing in the hollow opening as he fell. Elrond's face disappeared above him as the darkness swallowed him.

Elrohir awoke with a jerk, seeing pale light sneaking through the curtains from the stars and moon glimmering outside his bedroom window. He tried to stand up but his legs would not move.

"Elladan," he choked. "Help me."

His brother did not answer. Elrohir cried his twin's name but received no reply. Hot tears on his cheeks, Elrohir wrapped his arms around his knees and sobbed. He felt like he sat for hours, frozen to the floor, while his eyes on the clock told him only seconds had passed. All but the clock seemed to spin around him.

Feet crossed the floor toward him and Elrohir tried to rise again but failed. The sensation of falling kept him rooted to the ground. He squeezed his eyes shut as memories of his dream came whirling back; memories of Elrond letting him fall into blackness.

Someone took his hand and wrapped him in a tight embrace. Elrohir opened his eyes as the room stopped spinning and felt the tension go out of his body. Elladan hovered over him with concern filling his dark eyes.

"Father," Elrohir gasped, as Elrond hugged him and rocked him. He held onto Elrond's shirt and rested his head on his father's chest.

"I am sorry, ion nin, I am so sorry. I wish I could find a way to convince your subconscious mind I am not going to hurt you anymore. I know you believe it but your soul does not. And I am sorry you must suffer like this because of it."

Elrohir swallowed. "I do not want to sleep."

"You are tired, Elrohir. I will hold you."

"It does not make it better," Elrohir said, sniffling. "I am so tired . . ."

Elrond rubbed his back to help sooth him, distressed by his son's tears. "Maybe if Thranduil held you, it would help?"

"I do not know. Will you—will you fetch him for me?"

Elrond sent Elladan for the Elf King, not wanting to leave Elrohir alone. Thranduil knelt by Elrohir's side to scoop the elfling into his arms and hug him.

"Come sleep with me, Elrohir. You will feel better after you rest."

"I do not want to have nightmares," Elrohir whispered.

"You will not have nightmares, penneth nin, I promise."

"Goodnight," Elladan said softly as he followed Thranduil to his chamber.

Elrond sat on the twins' tangled bed and rubbed his eyes. Only once he returned to his bed and slid under the blankets to kiss Arwen's cheek did he realize Elrohir had called him 'father' for the first time in years.

In Thranduil's warm bed, Elrohir felt a bit calmer with Thranduil stroking his hair.

"I want to forgive him," he said. "I keep telling myself I have but I have not. Deep inside me I still hate him for all he did to me. And I cannot really love him until I forgive him. I want to so badly but I cannot do it."

"I have the same trouble," Elladan said in a small voice. "But it does not give me nightmares; it ties my stomach in guilt. How did you—how did you forgive Oropher for hurting you?"

Thranduil considered, his breathing quiet in the darkness. After a moment he said, "I had no wish to forgive him. He uprooted my life day after day and turned it into a reoccurring nightmare. And he never realized once he was hurting me."

"But you forgave him," Elrohir persisted. "You became friends."

"Yes. Oropher's wife died when I was fourteen human years of age. He loved her more then anything; he built his kingdom with and for her. Loosing her was like loosing his life. I found him one night mourning her loss and I realized he had a heart to, even if it did not feel all it should. I forgave him by accepting what he had done to me had happened and would not happen again. I hugged him and I asked him if he would be my friend or at least try to be, and he said he would. He never tried to spank me again and he let Harune deal with my punishments. But he did let me help him fix the mistake he had turned the Kingdom into."

Elrohir wiped his nose. "I cannot do what you did. I know Elrond has changed and he loves me. I love him to. But I cannot leave the past behind. I dream about it and cannot forget the way he hit me. And Celebrian hit me. I do not know what to do, gwador—"

He broke off and Thranduil could feel him squirming in sudden shame. He put a gentle hand on Elrohir's chest. "It is alright, Elrohir. I am honored to be your gwador in spirit. You do not need to be ashamed to voice how you feel."

"You—you cannot be my father. But you do feel like a gwador to me, Thranduil. Thank you for not minding."

"Of course. I do not think you could be sons to me but I will always see you as suyons. Now, you cannot forgive Elrond and Celebrian the same way I forgave Oropher but you will both find a way. It will come to you when your mind is empty; when you stop trying to find a way. I promise. Now go to sleep, Elrohir and Elladan. Tired minds do not work."

Elrohir let Thranduil's hand wipe his drying tears from his face.

"Do not think about it," Thranduil advised. "Let your mind be empty."

* * *

 **Ah, Elladan and Elrohir are feeling those quiet, nagging doubts! Can Thranduil help them find true forgiveness?**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I love hearing from you all and nothing makes me happier then knowing you have enjoyed each chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Glorfindel arrives in Rivendell.**


	103. I Am With My Friend

Elrohir peeked into the living room to find Elrond with Arwen on his lap, speaking with his wife. They stopped at his entrance and turned in their seats to look at him. Elrohir looked at his twin behind him as he crept into the room.

"I have been trying to forgive you," he said, looking at Elrond and Celebrian. He bit his lip. "But I cannot seem to do it. I-I have tried everything I can think of. I know you have changed and you will not spank me again but my inner mind does not believe it. I cannot find a way to convince it and, until I do, I will not be able to forgive you either."

"Thranduil says we will find a way," Elladan said. He squirmed. "We thought—we thought you could help us forgive you. I do not know how . . . or if it will work . . . but we have tried everything else."

"We would be happy to help," Celebrian told him, reaching for Elladan's hand to pull him into a hug. "We are here to help you. And no matter what it takes, we will convince your inner minds what your hearts feel."

Elladan rested his chin on her shoulder and nodded. He looked up as Legolas ran into the room, breathless and laughing with Thranduil behind him. Arwen slid to the floor and tugged at Thranduil's robe, asking, "Chase m'to!"

Elrohir made a dash for Elrond's free lap as Thranduil wrangled Legolas out of the room after Arwen.

"All children seem to like him," Celebrian said.

"It is what you get for being raised by Harune," Onyx said, whirling into the room. "I cannot run away from my little ones soon enough after I am done teaching them to dance."

* * *

Legolas snuggled beside his father. "Spring is almost here. I will miss Elladan and Elrohir when they go home."

Thranduil shifted beside him. "I will miss them to. But I know we will see them again. It seems we are both confident Elladan and Elrohir will be ready to return home soon."

"Elrond has made a lot of progress," Legolas said, looking up at his father. "Do you not think so?"

"I do think so. Would you feel safe being with him now?"

Legolas considered. "Yes. But I still like being with you more."

Thranduil chuckled and squeezed Legolas to him. "Elladan and Elrohir need to feel safe with their father before they return home. I think they will feel safe soon."

Legolas hesitated. "But . . . ada, what if Elrond spanks them again in Rivendell because you are not there to stop him?"

"That is what holds the twins back now," Thranduil said softly. "We have to believe for Elrond's sake and theirs, he will not fall back to spanking."

Legolas winced. "I would not like to be spanked. If I had to choose between being hit and told I was loved and being beaten . . . I think . . . I would prefer to be beaten."

Thranduil ran a hand over his cheek. "I will never force you to make such a harrowing and unwelcome choice. Now will you blow out the candle for me, please?"

Legolas scrambled out from under the warm blankets and extinguished the flame, plunging the room into dim light. He dove under the covers and cuddled back into Thranduil's embrace.

"Thank you," Thranduil said.

Legolas laughed. "You are welcome. Goodnight, ada."

* * *

Glorfindel swung off his horse and pulled off his gloves. He put the reins in the hands of a waiting stable boy and walked toward his neat white house at the top of the hill. A few drifts of snow fell off his cloak from his ride through the Misty Mountains though Rivendell showed signs of thawing out after the cold winter.

A fire blazed in his hearth, set by a servant girl minutes before, and a hot bath steamed in the marble bathroom. After a quick wash and a change of clothes, Glorfindel pinned on a fresh cloak and flung open the door to descend the hill toward Erestor's house halfway down the slope. He would be in time for dinner.

Erestor's house sat in a little dell, a hill rising behind it toward a tree line. Another bulging hill concealed the house from view from Elrond's mansion, and a flat stretch of ground had been dug into the hill. The slope rolled downward toward the river at the bottom of the valley, the white bridge across it in clear view. Several other houses dotted the hill. The long stairway down the hill from Elrond's front door showed up in flashes between hills as Glorfindel arrived at Erestor's door and banged on it.

The door popped open and a woman exclaimed, "Valar sakes alive, what is the matter with you, I should like to know? A baby in the house and elven ears as sharp as ever, and you here banging up a storm!"

Glorfindel seized her hand to bow and plant a kiss on it. "I am honored to meet you, my lady Ariel. I am Glorfindel."

"Well," said Ariel, "That is all well and good. Erestor will be thrilled to see you after so many years."

"May I enter your charming abode?" Glorfindel asked.

Ariel's dark eyes glared at him. "And what about a congratulations from my husband's closest friend?"

"I am delighted to congratulate you on your marriage and the birth of your first child," Glorfindel said as he entered the foyer and ridded himself of gloves and cloak.

Ariel smiled. "Come into the living room. Erestor is with Nightwing."

Erestor untangled himself from the floor in a flash as Glorfindel appeared in the doorway and leapt to grab the elf's arms. "Glorfindel! Mellon nin! We did not expect your return. It has been too long since we last spoke."

"Indeed," Glorfindel said as he crushed his friend in an embrace, noticing the light in Erestor's eyes and the hints of pride showing through in his movements. "I suppose we will not be bachelors together after all."

Erestor grinned. "I am sorry I had to leave you in the trenches of loneliness alone. But come meet my son, Nightwing."

The toddler on the floor turned around from amidst the pieces of his puzzle and Glorfindel started. The boy's hair was as black as the night and his snapping black eyes were unlike Erestor's brown ones and Ariel's blue ones. Even the baby's soft features showed no resemblance to either parent.

"Your . . . son?" he said uncertainly.

Erestor nodded with pride in his eyes. "Yes. He was born two years ago. Nightwing, this is Glorfindel."

The toddler stood up and tilted his head. "Del?"

Glorfindel ruffled the boy's silky hair and listened to him giggle. Nightwing tugged on his finger and asked, "Help me make puzzle?"

Erestor flopped back down alongside the pieces as Glorfindel and Ariel sat down on the floor. Nightwing pushed a pile of wooden pieces to Glorfindel.

As he put a piece into place, Erestor said, "Ariel and I would be very happy if you will agree to be Nightwing's honorary uncle. He does have several, of course, but I have no siblings and you have always been like a brother to me."

Glorfindel blinked. "I would be honored to be an uncle to your son."

"And concerning our son," Ariel said. "You should know about his birth."

* * *

Celebrian came up behind the twins as they stood with their noses pressed to the window. The snow melted outside under the onslaught of sudden spring sunshine, showing grass putting on green colors. Tiny buds were on the leaves.

Elladan and Elrohir took their hands off the glass to look at her.

"The weather is warming," Celebrian said. "We should return home before next winter."

Elrohir nudged the ground with his toe. "Thank you for not pushing us to go home."

Celebrian put her arms around him. "I know you need time to come to your decision. And we want you to come home happy."

Elrohir wriggled out of her embrace. "Will you come with us to see Landion? Healer Jailil says he will be able to leave bed any day now."

The twins and Celebrian arrived at Landion's room to find Jade and her family clustered by the door with Harune and Vandril. Thranduil and Legolas were there to, and Elrond held Arwen on his shoulders. Landion clutched Onyx's hands as his numb legs came back to life with each stumbling step he took.

Healer Jailil hovered behind the elfling, demanded, "Does anything hurt?"

"My legs feel like wood," Landion said, laughing as he tripped and Onyx caught him. "But where the arrowhead was, it does not hurt."

Onyx gripped Landion under his elbows. "Take a few more steps."

"You may move back to your room," Healer Jailil said. "I will send a healer to examine you every day. You will not do any running or strenuous physical activity."

"What can I do then?" Landion asked, feeling his legs responding to the blood flowing through them.

"You can take nice, quiet walks and read books."

Landion groaned and pushed Onyx's arms away. He tottered toward Harune with his hands held out in case he tripped. Harune caught him in a hug and kissed the top of his head.

"I will take him on a walk," Svain volunteered. "I am strong enough to carry him home if he flops over."

Landion looked insulted and Mervyn grinned at his son.

"You have the wrong image of elves," Landion said. "I am not a rag doll. I will come for a walk tomorrow at noon; I am hungry now."

Harune held out his hand. "Come, you can eat at the table with us today."

Landion bounded to the table in the open dining room, spread with streaming trays of dinner. Vandril hesitated in the doorway but Harune pushed him inside. "There are no hard feelings between us, mellon nin, and you are welcome at our table any time. Legolas Greenleaf, hands _out_ of the candied almonds until _after_ dinner."

* * *

 **Elladan and Elrohir are opening their hearts to their parents! That is one of the best things they can do. Was Glorfindel's meeting of Erestor all you hoped for?**

 **Thank you so much for reading! I love hearing your suggestions and thoughts on each chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: The Hall of Remembrances is paid a visit.**


	104. I Saw My Mother

Legolas stood at the window with his hands pressed against the panes, watching the leaves on the tree outside the window uncurl and open bright green. The water of the river below rushed with melt from up in the mountains, the water foaming over the rocks clear and sparkling blue in the sun.

Legolas heard his father enter the room, knowing by the sound of cloth touching the floor Thranduil had not yet changed out of his silk robes. He turned around. "Was the meeting good?"

Thranduil ran a hand through Legolas's hair, combing out tangles with his fingers. "It ran as smoothly as can be expected with several dozen council members all trying to agree on one thing. Have you finished your lessons for the day?"

Legolas tilted his head. "Have I ever finished after lunch?"

Thranduil chuckled. His face grew more somber and he said, "Come, I want to show you the Hall of Remembrance."

The elf king made a quick stop at his room to change into a light cotton robe of green before he took Legolas's hand and led him through the palace to the entrance of the Hall of Remembrance. Legolas looked at the tall oak doors, thinking he had never been inside before.

Harune joined them with Landion, Onyx, Jade, and her family. Elrond arrived with Arwen on his shoulders. Elladan and Elrohir danced ahead of Celebrian.

"I should hope there are not any _naked_ elves beyond this point," Mervyn said, eying Thranduil.

Thranduil grinned. "I assure you all royal portraits in Mirkwood are done with the subject _decently_ clothed."

"Hmm," said the dwarf, as if he disagreed.

Thranduil opened the door and cool air escaped from the hall. Clear light illuminated the long walk, coming from crystals hanging from the ceiling. Light escaped from the depths of the prisms where there burned an undying spark.

Mervyn looked at the crystals in appreciation. Helena said, "Oooh, Star Gems! We have hundreds in our caves but did not know you had any."

"King Oropher brought them to Mirkwood when he founded the Kingdom," Thranduil said. "I do not know where they came from but I doubt he acquired them without bloodshed . . ."

Legolas looked at the first painting on the wall. The black eyes of the elf glittered at him from beneath a familiar crown. "Is it Oropher?"

Thranduil nodded. "It is. And this is his wife, Byrd."

On the wall opposite her husband, Byrd's portrait resided, framed in gold and the colors as rich and luxurious as the woman within the paint. Byrd's long hair tumbled down her back, woven with tiny white crystals. A layer of white silk encased her elegant frame, the sleeves dripping to the floor from under her wrists.

"She is pretty," Legolas said. "Was she nice?"

"She was as good a Queen to Mirkwood as Oropher was a King and together they completed each other and the Kingdom. She rode at his side in battle and sparred with him in the fields. But I do not think she liked children much, though she bore me."

Another painting showed Oropher and Byrd together on a stone garden seat Legolas knew well. A forth portrait depicted the first King and Queen of Mirkwood sitting with Byrd's belly round as a ball. A fifth showed Thranduil as a toddler, held tight in the laps of his parents. Legolas saw a brief flash of grief pass Thranduil's face at the sight of the painting. The wall stretched on with scenes of battle and feasts before the paintings changed to Thranduil.

Unrecognizable as a baby in Byrd's arms, Oropher's arms, and Harune's, save, for his eyes, Thranduil looked tiny and helpless. The paintings showed him as he grew. Oropher, Byrd, or Harune accompanied him in the pictures save for one of him sleeping as a baby and another of him Legolas's age, standing by a tree.

"You look miserable," Legolas said with a grin, studying carefully the sight of his father as small as him.

"The collar was stiff as wood," Thranduil said, shaking his shoulders as if he remembered the feel well.

The portraits changed to show accomplishments; Thranduil's first hunt, his first dance, his first speech, his first battle, and his first wedding.

Legolas fell silent before the portrait of his mother. No one said anything and the Star Gems flickered. Legolas bit his lip as he felt tears spring into his eyes and turned his head away to hide them. He felt his father's hand squeeze his shoulder.

"Her name is Ailunai," Thranduil said. "We stole cookies and threw mud at the head gardener together. Her mother was a maid in the kitchens. Her father was a warrior. She loved the forest more then anything."

"She was not a noble?" Elrond asked before he could stop himself.

Thranduil shook his head. "No. Oropher considered her unworthy company for his son; as common and plain as moss, he said."

"But I play with the servant children all the time," Legolas said.

"Oropher was not like Thranduil," Harune said with a laugh.

"Oropher must have raised a fuss when you married her," Helena said.

Thranduil nodded again, seeing Legolas wipe tears from his eyes. "Yes. At my first dance, I finished my duties by dancing with every elleth there and spent the rest of the night dancing with her. Oropher and Byrd frowned until I thought their faces would never stop."

Legolas saw portraits of his mother and father together on the same stone bench, at creeks and river glades, at picnics with Hyrondal, Healer Jailil, and Harune. He thought some of the elflings in the picnic scene must be some of Healer Jailil's children.

"You waited a long time before you had me," he said.

Thranduil tilted his head. "We were not ready for children in the beginning. We wished to wait until the time to bring an elfling into the world was right. Orcs were swarming the forest more then ever and brief joy would not be worth it to lose a child to tragedy. I rode with my father and mother more often then not and did not see my wife as much as I would have liked."

"And then Sauron threatened Middle Earth and Oropher was called to join the war," Elrond said.

Thranduil nodded. "Oropher and Byrd died in the final attack. I came back a King instead of a Prince . . ."

Legolas looked at the grey paintings; at the black gates of Mordor and the struggle between men, elves, and Sauron's armies before it until he came to the portrait of Thranduil crowned as King with Ailunai at his side. He felt a flash of horribleness at having killed her; at having caused her death by taking his life for hers. He knew in his heart it was not true but looking at his mother made him feel more and more the shadow she left behind.

Legolas swallowed at the paintings of happiness; of Thranduil and Ailunai together. Hot tears came into his eyes as he saw the beginnings of himself in their lives show with Ailunai's pregnancy.

"Will I have to have my portrait added to the Hall of Remembrances?" he asked as a way of taking his mind off Ailunai.

"Yes, but we will wait for summer when Mirkwood is in its glory. And I promise I will not make you suffer as Oropher and Byrd made me suffer for each painting. It will be fun."

Legolas brightened a little and wiped his eyes. "Before Elladan and Elrohir leave, can we do a painting all together to—to remember the times we spent together?"

Thranduil looked over his shoulder at the twins. "Well, if they are willing to sit with us, I would be honored to keep their likeness in the hall of Remembrances."

The paintings ended abruptly with a portrait of Ailunai and Thranduil sitting on the stone bench, Ailunai's belly round under her dress.

"This was made right before you were born," Thranduil said.

 _Right before she died_ , Legolas thought, a tight feeling coming into his chest.

"I-I never knew her," Legolas said. "But I miss her. I would give anything to see her."

"I brought you here because she is not gone. And you will see her as soon as spring is at its full."

Legolas turned in confusion. "But she is dead. How can I see her?"

"Because of the time your mother spent in her life time tending to dying trees and singing to the wood, when she died, the spirits of the forest offered her a choice. She could either depart to Valinor or she could remain as one with the forest, tending to it again with the pure energy of her spirit. She chose to remain with the wood she so loved. And once every three years, in the heart of spring, she may take a physical shape for a single day."

Legolas's fingers reached for something to catch hold of and would have chosen the rim of the nearest portrait had Thranduil not grabbed his hand.

"I have been here almost eight years," Legolas said faintly.

"Yes. We were in Rivendell three years ago. Harune spent the day with Ailunai."

"I have seen her," Landion said slowly. He looked at his father. "When Thranduil and Legolas were in Rivendell, we had a party. And you only danced with one woman the whole night. Was that _her_?"

Harune laughed. "Yes, ion nin, it was her."

Legolas recovered himself, eagerness taking away faintness. "When will I see her? In how many days? Do you think—do you think she will like me?"

"Well, if this is not the most elvish rubbish I ever heard," Mervyn snorted. He grabbed Helena, Svain, and Rocky by the hands. "Women in trees, of all rot, and a rocky family history to boot."

"Well, I think it is perfectly elegant, and it is not as if your Hall of Ancestors has any more noble souls in it," Helena said as her father marched her toward the door. "In fact, you told me yourself your father near scalped you when you married mother, and grandfather has a collection of elf scalps in his chambers."

Mervyn turned red at Thranduil's gaze. Jade coughed and hastened to assure the elf King, "I assure you they are thousands of years old, from the last quarrels between our people. Grandfather keeps them as trophies from his youth. Not an elf has been slain since he was a lad."

"Anyhow," Helena said, "I do not see why we cannot stay and see King Thranduil's family line, even if it is stuff and nonsense. We are invited and I would like to stay."

"As long as I do not hear another word about scalps, young lady, you may stay."

"How can I help it, when Grandfather insists on showing them to us whenever we see him?" Helena demanded. "He looks at _my_ hair as if he would like to have it."

"Ha, well, let him make a grab at it and we will see where his hair ends up!"

Landion saw the look in Legolas's eyes and squeezed his hand. "I am sure your mother will like you. She was very kind to me when I met her. I wish I had known she was my—my sister. I thought she was one of ada's lovers."

"Why, thank you, Landion," Harune said, with an exaggerated air.

Thranduil knelt down to hug Legolas to him. "Your mother loves you, Legolas, and she will be so happy to see you. There is not a single grain of hatred in her for you."

"But how do you know?" Legolas asked in a small voice.

"Your father knows what your mother feels the same way I know Mervyn would die for King Oropher's battle armor," Jade said, with a glance at her husband gazing at a painting. "We are the same heart in two bodies. We know the same things."

* * *

 **Legolas's head will be swimming with his heart after that little trip to the Hall of Remembrances. A picture is beginning to form of his mother!**

 **I loved Mervyn and Helana's little tiff. What about you?**

 **Thank you all so much for reading. Sharing this journey with you is amazing!**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas wrestles with a selfish desire.**


	105. I Feel Confused

A restless nature came over Legolas as he willed the forest to green quicker. He often spent time staring out the window while his pen dabbled ink across his lessons and Master Eire frowned upon him. The heart of spring seemed a decade away to the little elfling but fear at his mother's judgment kept him from fully enjoying the wait.

Thranduil seemed to continue life as if nothing had happened but then, Legolas reflected, he was used to waiting three years to see his wife.

"You have not been focusing on your work as much as you could," Thranduil said, holding up a letter from Master Eire a few days later. "I am sure you know what he says since he said it to you to."

Legolas raised his chin from his knees and looked at his father. He clasped his arms around his knees and sighed. "I am sorry, ada. I am having trouble concentrating. All I can think about is nana and . . . and what I will say to her."

Thranduil sat down beside him and put an arm around his shoulders. The warm fire flickered over his face. "I know you are nervous but you will find the words you need when you see her. It will not be long now. Do you want some help with your homework?"

Legolas looked at him. "I suppose it will keep me from being distracted if you are with me."

This turned out to be untrue, however, for when Elrond came in to find Arwen's lost stuffed rabbit, he found Thranduil and Legolas wrestling on the floor in a general state of happiness while homework papers tried to avoid being torn.

Legolas sat up breathless, wriggling out from under Thranduil's firm grasp, as Elladan and Elrohir came into the room with quiet determination in their faces. He pushed his hair from his eyes and looked at them expectantly.

"You have torn a paper," Elladan said with a twinkle in his eyes.

"Ada tore it," Legolas said innocently, as his parent gathered his bones off the floor ad sat up behind him, putting his arms around Legolas's neck.

"We have decided we are ready to go home after we see Ailunai," Elladan said.

"Are you sure?" Thranduil asked.

Elrohir nodded. "Yes. We have given it much thought and . . . we feel safe with ada and nana now. We . . . are ready to trust them."

Thranduil smiled at the light in the twins' eyes, thinking this was the first time Elladan and Elrohir had ever truly trusted their parents and nodded. "We will be sad to see you go, and miss you but I am glad you now feel you have a home you can go home to."

Elrohir dropped down to hug him. "We would not have it without you and we can never thank you enough."

His voice choked up with tears. Legolas scooted to the side as Elladan joined his twin in Thranduil's embrace.

"You have thanked be enough by giving me your trust and love," Thranduil said gently. "I could not ask for more."

Elrohir nodded, hiding his face in Thranduil's shirt. "Only, it means so much more to me then you can ever imagine."

"I can imagine," Thranduil said with conviction. He kissed Elrohir's brow. "I know how beautiful life feels when the darkness is lifted away."

Elrohir smiled and wiped his eyes. He and Elladan pulled back with a last deep breath and left the room. It was only after Elladan and Elrohir bounced away laughing that Thranduil saw the troubled look on Legolas's face.

"Legolas, what is wrong?" Thranduil asked, scooting over to sit by his son.

Legolas chewed on his lip. "Ada, what if—what if I do not want to-to bring nana to meet everyone? Is it—is it wrong to want to be with her all day, just us? I-I do not know—I do not want to disappoint the twins—"

He ducked his head to hide confused tears but Thranduil saw them glittering on his lashes and hugged Legolas to him. "Legolas, my sweet ion, you have every right to be with your mother alone, if that is what you want."

"But I do not want to be mean to the twins," Legolas sobbed.

Thranduil sat Legolas on his lap and looked into his son's eyes. "I know you try to be kind and good and patient, and you have done so well. I am proud of you for the efforts you make. But you have to understand it is not wrong to want some things to be for yourself. And it is not selfish to want to savor a moment alone. You have to learn how to say no with grace. Elladan and Elrohir will understand you want to be with Ailunai by yourself."

Legolas sniffled and leaned forward to rest his cheek on the crook of Thranduil's neck. "I do not want them to hate me."

"They will not hate you, my little leaf. Elladan and Elrohir are as good as understanding as you."

"Do not tell them," Legolas said. "I want to tell them myself. After I have thought about it."

"Alright. But understand you are under no obligation to anyone to say yes. This decision is yours to make and we will all respect your answer."

Legolas nodded. Thranduil's fingers wiped the tears from his face away as he sat up.

"Now," Thranduil said, "If we have not torn too much of your homework, let us see what we can get done before dinner time."

* * *

Elladan squirmed down beside Elrond on the couch, drawing his legs up to his chest. Elrond looked at him. "You have something on your mind, ion. Out with it."

"What if I do not want to?" Elladan said with a cheeky grin.

Celebrian reached across Elrond's lap to put her hand on his wrist. "You are free to keep your thoughts to yourself if you do not want to share."

Elrohir joined his twin. "We are ready to go home."

Celebrian's eyes lit up and Elladan hastily put in, "Not now. Not yet. After we see Ailunai."

"We were not going to push you to leave sooner," Celebrian said. "I am just happy you feel safe and trusted enough to go home."

Elladan ducked his head. "It is taking some time to grow used to you respecting us."

"Take as much time as you need. You will have eternity to grow used to it, ion nin. We know you have made some hard steps but we are here to hold your hands if you need us."

"I want to meet Erestor's son," Elladan said.

"Nightwing," Celebrian said with a smile. "He will be almost a two by the time we return to Rivendell. I am sure you will like him; he was a very sweet baby even at a few months when I last saw him. You have met Ariel; she often brought you snacks."

"She is an excellent cook," Elrohir said. "And she did not smack us with her spoons when we flinched cookies. Erestor must be eating well."

"Perhaps a little too well," Elrond said with a laugh. "He will be relieved do doubt when I return to take up the mantle of the valley."

"He has Glorfindel to help him now," Celebrian said. "He will last a little longer."

A servant appeared with Arwen on her shoulders. "Lady Celebrian, your daughter awoke and asked for her mother."

"Hannon le," Celebrian said, taking her daughter as Arwen waved her hands and squealed. "Nana!"

"I admit I am most curious to meet Ailunai," Elrond said, moving down the couch to make room for Arwen between him and Celebrian. "This place never fails to surprise me."

"I wonder how Legolas is feeling about it," Elladan said thoughtfully. "He looked a little scared when Thranduil told him about her in the Hall of Remembrance."

* * *

 **The twins and their parents are connecting more now more then ever. Mirkwood will be sad to see them go but I think Rivendell will be a happy home when they return. Legolas is fighting with his feelings. What will his choice be?**

 **Ashnazg: I am so happy to hear from you again! And thrilled to know you are enjoying the story. Thanks so much for reading.**

 **Thank you for reading! I love hearing from you at the close of each chapter and learning what worked and what did not.**

 **Next Chapter: Ailunai comes to life. Who wants to meet Thranduil's wife?**


	106. I Met My Mother

The air smelled of spring sunshine and earth melting. The river rushed clear and blue past the palace gates, its roar echoing under the bridge. Legolas stood on the damp soil at the opposite end of the bridge, thinking of what he had said to Harune and afraid to take the next step away from the palace. It would be one step nearer to his mother but one step nearer to fear.

The sun rose above the treetops, a mantle of gold and purple rays behind it. Thranduil reached for Legolas's hand. "Come, little leaf, Ailunai will be waiting for us to come."

Legolas looked up into his father's eyes, as clear as the river water, and knew he could not refuse. His feet took a few unwilling steps and quickened as he felt the eagerness in Thranduil's grip.

The forest stood quiet in the fresh breath of morn as squirrels yawned from their nests and birds stretched their wings. A pregnant doe peeked at the elves from under an oak tree.

Legolas knew the glade the moment he saw it for he had often come to sit on the grey rock under the shade of the magnificent old oak tree. He had climbed its branches and sat at its top many times to watch the forest breathe.

A moose lowered its heavy head from the patch of stream winding through the back of the trees and skittered into the woods at the sight of Thranduil and Legolas.

"I did not know moose came so near the palace," Legolas said in surprise.

"Some of the braver ones often wander into foreign territory to snatch a drink or two," Thranduil told him.

Legolas took a deep breath. "I do not see nana."

"She knows we are here now," Thranduil replied. "She will come."

Legolas felt as jumpy as the moose as he waited. He whirled around as a branch creaked and his eyes opened wide as the mighty trunk of the twisted oak tree moved. The two halves of the trunk rooted in the ground peeled back from each other's embrace, their seperare branches and limbs smacking into one another as they uncurled. The weight of the branches on each of the two trunks caused them to bend apart in opposite directions, the tips of their high branches touching the ground. From the open space between the two trunks and woman stepped out.

Legolas wanted to run. He had killed her. But his feet stayed rooted to the ground; _this_ was his mother.

Ailunai was not tall and willowy, nor was she possessed of a perfect shape or stunning beauty. But despite her curved and full form, she moved with quiet grace, her bare feet soft against the fresh grass of spring. Her eyes were a mix of green and blue, sparkling with humor while her full lips smiled a cheerful welcome. Her golden hair tumbled down her back to her waist, full of careless braids and fresh leaves. The laces of her green dress were tied in a loose bow over her bosom. The Queen of Mirkwood did not have to stand on tiptoe to plant a kiss on her tall husband's lips nor hug him.

"Someone missed me three years ago," she said, her voice mischievous.

Then Ailunai turned to Legolas. And all Legolas could blurt was, "I am sorry I killed you."

The minute he said it, he knew he had done wrong for the shocked faces of his parents stared down at him, frozen as if in horror. He wanted to take it back but knew he could not.

Ailunai dropped to her knees beside him to snatch him in a hug. "No, no, ion nin, my beautiful ion nin, you did not kill me."

Legolas's lower lip trembled and a moment later the tears were streaming down his cheeks as he hid his face in Ailunai's shoulder and sobbed. He felt his father hug him from behind and felt as if he did not deserve to be so loved after taking the Queen from life.

"You do not have to believe me, little leaf, but I want you to know it is the truth when I say you did not kill me. I was glad to bring you into the world, even though it meant giving my life for yours. I had a choice; I could have let you die inside me or given up during the birth. But I did not because I wanted to hold you in my arms and give you all the love I could before I went. I wanted to give your father a part of me to love after I went."

"I am sorry, I am sorry," Legolas sobbed, struggling to calm down as Thranduil rubbed circles on his back.

"There is nothing to apologize for," Ailunai said gently, as Legolas's tears slowed to a trickle. She used the hem of her skirt to wipe his nose.

Legolas gave a last cough wiped his eyes. Thranduil and Ailunai moved to sit beside him. He swallowed and flushed at Ailunai's glance.

Ailunai took his clenched hand in hers and peeled his fingers apart. She held it between her hands. "It is alright, ion nin. I know how daunting it can be to meet someone new for the first time. You can feel shame if you like, but I promise I never blamed you once for my death and you must not blame yourself."

"I will not," Legolas whispered, his eyes sincere.

"I saw you the first time you came to Mirkwood," Ailunai said with a smile. "I led Talion to find you before you froze. I gave him the strength to walk you to the healing wing. And every night I stayed at your window to watch you heal."

"Were you mad with ada for not liking me at first?"

Thranduil flushed red. Ailunai chuckled. "No. I knew he would not reject our son."

"Did you know ada blamed me for your death for a little while?"

"Most certainly. But I had faith he would get rid of that dreadful thought. You see, I have known Thranduil for decades and I know he holds thoughts temporarily."

Legolas looked at his father and grinned.

Ailunai picked a strand of hair off Legolas's cheek and tucked it behind his ear. She hugged the elfling to her. "I have been with you every day. But what I missed most was hugging and cuddling my baby. I held you for as long as I could the day you were born."

"I do not remember," Legolas said softly. "I wish I could."

* * *

 **Sincere apologies for the long overdue update. I had a bad cold over the past five days and stayed in bed. I was so happy to open my messages today and respond to all the people who checked up on me during my absence. Thank you!**

 **I hope this chapter makes up for the long wait! I love hearing your thoughts. Do you like my rendering of Thranduil's wife?**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas finds having a mother is . . . enchanting. And very agreeable.**


	107. I Am Happy

"You do remember, Legolas. Your little heart knew what it felt like to be loved and snuggled and touched gently. Because when you were thrown into the rough and cruel realm of Lord Katar, you missed it."

"I do not want you to have to go."

"Neither did your father the first time we were together," Ailunai said. "But it is not hard to let go for a little while with an open heart. Now tell me, are you happy?"

Legolas grinned. "Yes. How could I not be happy here? Ada is the best father in the whole world, even though he is the king. I love it here. We are all family. I have been bullied before but most of the people I meet are really nice."

"I know how far the kingdom has come," Ailunai said. "For I was here at Thranduil's side when he fought to make Mirkwood a better place for all. Oropher guided his people but was blind too much of the suffering of the poorer people. His son fought to end that."

"Ada has not told me much of what the kingdom was like when he was little," Legolas said truthfully. "But he did not like Oropher much. I am glad I have parents I like."

"And I am glad we have a son we like," Ailunai said with a chuckle. She kissed Legolas's head. "I have been watching you when I may and I am so proud of how you live your life, despite the inevitable mistakes."

Legolas looked down. Ailunai pressed his hand. "I have made mistakes to. There is no shame in mistakes as long as you learn from them."

Legolas looked up and smiled. "I want everyone to meet you."

"I met everyone last time I came back to my body," Ailunai said. "Harune and I hosted a party under the stars while you were in Rivendell."

"Well, I want Elladan and Elrohir to meet you then. I felt a little lonely watching them with an ada and a naneth but I do not feel lonely anymore now that I have a nana to."

"You always had a naneth," Ailunai said.

"Yes, but it is not the same until you meet here," Legolas explained. "I struggled to imagine what it was like to have a naneth but now I know. I do not have to wonder anymore."

Ailunai tilted her head to one side. "Imagination brings us a long way from gloom. But to know the real thing sometimes confirms what we already now. Am I as good as your imagination of me?"

"Better," Legolas assured her.

The grass was soft under the trio as they lay back to look up at the sky. It felt different to Legolas to be sandwiched between two people who loved him the same. And to rest his head on a chest unlike his father's felt oddly new.

Thranduil saw his face and laughed. "Ailunai, my love, I think he likes your breasts."

Legolas flushed red as Ailunai joined Thranduil is laughter. Ailunai patted her son's head. "Ah, ion nin, I know I do not feel like your father but these breasts give the milk of life. You will get used to feeling them when I hug you."

Legolas turned his accusing eyes on his father. "You started this!"

Thranduil smiled and tweaked Legolas's ear. "How can I help it, little leaf, when I love to see you smile?"

Legolas snorted and flopped back to the grass. Ailunai slid her arm under his neck. "Have you ever wondered what it is like to be a part of the wind?"

"I feel as if I am part of the wind when I climb to the highest branches of my tree and look out over the forest," Legolas said.

"I do that every day," Ailunai said. "I guide the energies of the trees to heal broken roots and drive back rot. The forest needs me to keep growing. I am one with the wind, Legolas, a spirit of the forest. I watch over it and you every day."

Legolas said nothing but moved a little closer to her, thinking she would be gone before he could blink.

As the high noon sun rose into the air, Thranduil sat up. A party of elves exploded into the glade, led by Harune armed with a picnic basket. Landion came behind him, smothered under a heap of quilts.

Thranduil looked at Legolas as his son sat up beside him. Legolas understood the look in his eyes and hastened to assure him, "I did not ask Harune to bring them for you or to make you proud, or to be selfless, or to fulfill any obligation. I asked Harune to bring everyone for an afternoon picnic because I wanted them to meet nana."

Thranduil put an arm around Legolas's shoulders and gave him a squeeze. "Good, I am glad you made such a conscious choice."

"I had a very good example to learn from," Legolas assured him. He looked at Ailunai. "And now I have two."

Thranduil's smile was a bright as the sun whole Ailunai's eyes twinkled at him like stars.

"I _hate_ to interrupt," Landion said, "But I desperately need some help with these quilts."

Thranduil came gallantly to his rescue. He helped Landion spread them out on the grass while Ailunai rose to greet her visitors. Legolas accompanied her.

"It is an honor to meet you, Queen Ailunai," Celebrian said, dipping her head. "My husband, Lord Elrond, and our children; Elladan, Elrohir, and Arwen."

"It is my pleasure to meet you in the flesh. I have seen you as I watch over the forest many a time."

"Then you cannot be pleased with all you have seen."

"On the contrary," Ailunai said. "I have felt, perhaps, the equivalent of both Elrond's stubbornness and your determination. And I am pleased with where it has brought you."

"We would not be here if we had not opened our ears to listen," Celebrian said, as she put Arwen down and ruffled Elladan's hair.

"We all listen," Ailunai said meditatively. "Now come, let us enjoy this marvelous food Nimrethil has prepared."

Harune wrapped Ailunai in a hug before he dug into the baskets to bring out brown paper parcels smelling of crab and fried meat.

Legolas tore away the wet paper covering his sandwich and bit into the still-hot center. Crab sandwiches, with the crab still hot from Nimrethil's pan blessed his taste buds.

"I did not know Nimrethil had crabs still from last spring's delivery," Legolas said, swallowing his food.

"Half the contents of Nimrethil's ice chambers are a mystery," Harune said drily. "Valar knows how old these crabs are."

"They taste fine to me," Legolas said, unaware of the white sauce on his chin until Ailunai reached over and wiped it away.

* * *

 **Ah, Legolas is indeed having a fine time with his mother. He had his choice and I think it is a good one since it came from his heart. What do you say?**

 **AshNazg: Thank you so much for commenting! I am thrilled you enjoyed the last chapter and hope this one is as good.**

 **Thank you all for reading. Getting a peek into your thoughts always means so much to me!**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas discovers black magic . . .**


	108. I Found Darkness

The night was a warm one for spring and the wind kept low. The blankets on the grass made a welcome resting place. Legolas did not want to sleep and miss any time with his mother but his eyelids kept closing despite themselves.

The young prince enjoyed the feeling of warmth and safety between his parents. Thranduil's hand rested on his shoulder and Ailunai's fingers combed his hair. The stars blinked overhead. Before he could catch himself, he slid into sleep.

The sun shone into his eyes when he awoke, making him blink. Legolas rolled over under the covers and groped at empty air. He sat up with a jerk and looked for his mother. A curious void filled his heart.

"She is gone," Legolas said hollowly.

Beside him Thranduil stirred. Legolas sat with his back to his father, holding a single lock of hair in his hands. The elf king put a hand on Legolas's shoulder, "No, she is not gone, little leaf. She is around us all the time, watching us. Her breath is the wind and the sun is her smile."

Legolas whispered, "But I cannot hold the sun and the wind, ada."

"You can hold her in your heart, little leaf," Thranduil answered. "I know it will not be the same but Ailunai is with us all the time in spirit. Hold her in your heart and she will never abandon you."

Legolas gulped. "I will try, ada. Will you—will you help me?"

"I may need your help from time to time," Thranduil said with a smile.

Legolas let out a heavy breath. A single flower with a white, nodding head was growing behind him by the rock. The oak tree stood tall and regal again. The elf prince looked at the flower and touched it gently.

Thranduil waited until Legolas turned to him and said, "I am ready to go home."

Father and son gathered up the blankets and pillows. Legolas stood a moment at the oak tree and touched the trunk. Thranduil heard him whisper, "Goodbye, nana."

He thought to impress upon his son that Ailunai was not gone again but chose to say nothing, realizing Legolas would find the truth with time. Legolas came to join him with a faint smile and slipped his hand into Thranduil's. Laden with pillows and blankets, king and prince followed the paths back to the palace.

At the bridge, the guards swung open the doors into the palace and nodded to Thranduil as he passed. Divested of their burdens by servants, Thranduil tripped upstairs to his chambers to change for the morning.

Landion met Legolas on the stairs down to the dining room after he had changed and demanded, "Did you like her?"

"Yes," Legolas answered, his voice soft. "And I miss her already."

Landion took his hand in sympathy. "I am sorry she is not here with you in body but she must be in spirit. I could feel my mother watching me after she died. Her smile lingered with me for a long time."

Legolas mustered a smile as he and Landion entered the dining room. Galion stepped past them; an empty tray smelling of tea leaves banging against his hip. Thranduil was already at the head of the table, pouring milk into his tea.

Elladan and Elrohir sensed Legolas's displaced spirit as soon as he sat down. Elladan reached for his hand under the table and whispered, "I am sorry she cannot be with you all the time."

Legolas looked at him and felt a brief flash of envy pass through him as he looked across the table at Elrond and Celebrian helping Arwen with her food. The twins had both their parents.

Feeling as if Thranduil might glimpse the look in his eyes, Legolas turned his attention to the breadbasket and jam pot, trying hard to push down the bitterness inside him.

"Your mother was very nice," Landion volunteered, peering at Legolas's face. "Did you not like her?"

Legolas looked up with a spark in his eyes and almost tipped over the jam pot as he protested, "Of course I like her! I miss her is all."

Landion squirmed in his chair, his eyes looking like he wanted to tease but Legolas said, "If you dare say anything more I will throw the jam pot at you."

Thranduil coughed on his tea. "Legolas Greenleaf, you will do no such thing."

Bitterness gone, Legolas grinned at his father and took a bite out of his bread.

Rocky knocked over a pitcher of milk a moment later reaching his hand for a dish of canned peaches.

"Good food ought to be fought over," M

* * *

ervyn said appreciatively, forking several pieces of the peach onto Rocky's plate and leaving Jade to wipe away the cream.

"As long as the fighting is not done with food, battle all you like," Jade told him.

Thranduil put down his fork and knife. "I have an early meeting. You young lot will be late to Master Eire if you do not hurry."

A hasty wipe to their faces with napkins later, the elflings dashed from their chairs, securing several pieces of buttered toast to munch on their way.

"Think of the crumbs," Harune said with a sigh.

"That, my dear ada, will be a job for Galion," Thranduil said with a laugh as he strode out of the room.

* * *

Legolas's pen drew careful letters in its wake, black against the crisp whiteness of the page. He finished his paper and slowly wrote his name across the bottom, drawing out the S with a flourish. He wiped his pen and capped the inkbottle.

With a thoughtful expression, he left his seat and put the paper on Master Eire's desk. Barely acknowledging the elf's dismissal, Legolas wandered into the halls of the library, his head tilted and his eyes trailing over book titles.

In the shadowy corners of the back of the library, a door of Blackwood was inscribed with silver runes. Legolas knew old scrolls and dark rituals resided in the pages behind the door but black magic was what he was after. He glanced behind him to make sure the halls were empty before he took the heavy key out of his pocket and put it into the lock.

The door opened without a sound and the musty smell of old paper mixed with evil; rather like blood and tears, washed over him. He shut the door behind him and carefully lit the candle he had taken from Thranduil's room along with the key.

Alone in the narrow chamber, Legolas let the candlelight play over the Blackwood shelves. Scolls tied with ribbons and ancient books with yellowed pages stocked the shelves. A desk covered with dust stood against the far wall. he knew what he was doing was wrong; knew he should not be here and shuddered to think what ada would do to him if he found him here.

But the thought of waiting three years to see Ailunai again drove him on. Putting down the candle with care, Legolas rested his innocent eyes on drawings grotesque torture and desperate sacrifices. He had entered the realm of black magic, where nothing could be unseen.

The stale air of the room agitated Legolas's lungs as he searched through titles and rituals for something—anything—that could bring his mother back.

* * *

 **It will take Legolas time to adjust to life without his mother again. His single day with Ailunai was very precious to him. But what is this room of darkness he has found?**

 **Thank you all for reading! I love sharing each new chapter with you and hearing your thoughts!**

 **Next Chapter: Will Legolas trust his heart or deny his instincts?**


	109. I Told Tales

Time passed. Within the room without windows, Legolas sat oblivious to it until his candle sputtered and died. The elfling sat up with a startled jerk and the book in his hands dropped to the floor. His heart banged in his chest as he felt his way through the blackness toward the door. He emerged into the dim light of the library and locked the door. Hiding the key under a book on the closest shelf, he fled the place.

No sooner had he set foot in the hall outside the living room then Thranduil snatched him in a distraught hug. "Legolas! I have been so worried. No one could find you."

"I fell asleep in the library," Legolas said, his heart jumping as he spoke the lie.

"For valar sakes, bring your books to the family room and fall asleep on the couch there, if you must, so I will at least know where you are!" Thranduil ejaculated.

"I am sorry, ada," Legolas said, meeting Thranduil's eyes. _Sorry for lying to you._

Thranduil squeezed him and kissed his forehead. "It is no worry as long as it does not happen again. Now come eat with us."

With a slight start, Legolas realized it was dinnertime. He followed Thranduil to the dining room, realizing he had worried more then his father as Harune breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

"Well!" said Onyx as Legolas slid into his seat. "And where have you been, I should like to know? I suppose you were down raiding the larders while we all rang the alarm bells and turned out in full to track you down?"

Legolas turned red. "Of course not!"

"So you have done something worst," Onyx prophesied, as he helped himself to a cut of cold meat. "Why, it reminds me of the time Thranduil—"

Thranduil held up a hand. "Do not speak of it."

Onyx emptied a pitcher into his cup, ice tinkling inside it. "Let me tell you, Legolas, of the crimes of the Great King Thranduil."

Legolas forgot the dark corners of the black magic room and prepared to listen as he chewed his food.

"I cannot bring you under my roof without being blacklisted," Thranduil muttered.

"I do not know why you bother trying," Onyx said. "Why, every student I have instructed in dance has stopped squirming and shut up to listen to stories of your wickedness."

"I notice every elfling at this table has 'stopped squirming and shut up'," Thranduil said sarcastically. "You might as well get it over with now."

Onyx gave a playful tug to Landion's braid as he began. "Several months after my dreadful first meeting with Thranduil (I never could get the ink out of my bedspread), Harune took us up to spend a few days at the palace. While mother and father indulged in parties of the most elegant kind, Jade and I were stuck with a rather snotty prince. Terrible, it was."

He paused to reflect and Thranduil remarked, "I do not recall being snotty."

"He was far from snotty," Jade assured Legolas.

"Stop spoiling the story," Onyx commanded. "Jade wandered off to inspect the splendor of Oropher's halls after an hour in the sitting room. Thranduil and I settled down to play chess. After several games without proper refreshment, Thranduil suggested a quick adjournment for the purposes of acquiring food. We went down to the kitchens and there Thranduil told me of the divine delicacies hidden behind the pantry door and how easy they were to get."

"And you, poor fool, went in to fetch them," Jade said, hiding a smile as she wiped jam off Rocky's face with a napkin.

"Well, I certainly was not going to settle for plain fare after spending life time on practically no sweets at all," Onyx said. "Thranduil played it up very nicely. He talks a fantastic talk about graciously doing his duty and letting guests have the first pick at the larder."

"I told you I was not sure what treats you would like best," Thranduil objected.

"And when I offered to tell you what I liked, you told me half the delicacies in your royal larder were not even known to me and I had better go in and try them for myself. Well, Legolas, I went in and was promptly caught red-handed by a cook with a _foul_ temper."

"I know all about those," Legolas agreed knowingly.

Onyx downed a thoughtful sip of his drink. "Indeed. But the cooks of your generation are much nicer, I assure you, and your King to is much pleasanter. My accoster dragged me up to reveal my sins to Oropher and evidently he was in a bad mood. I have no idea what would have happened to me though I suspect I would have spent a fine time rotting in the dungeons had Thranduil not stepped up and claimed responsibility for my actions."

Legolas glanced at Thranduil and was met with a smile as his father finished his food and pushed back his plate.

"What happened next?" Elladan asked.

"Horror upon horrors," Onyx replied. "Harune had told Jade and I of Oropher's methods of punishment after Thranduil spilled ink across my bedspread and mother already knew but I had never seen it until that day before Oropher's throne. I . . . realized how bad it was as I was marched away to the sound of Thranduil shrieking."

Legolas flinched though the twins winced most visibly. Onyx stared at his plate for a moment before he shook himself. "And that is the charlatan your father is."

"Oh, I do not agree," Jade objected. "Our brother is not without the honor and integrity to claim responsibility for his actions, whether they are good or bad. He knew what would be done to him but he spoke honestly despite the consequences."

"I never done any less," Thranduil agreed. "And now, Onyx, if you must tell another story, let us retire to the family room."

* * *

 **I dare say Onyx will delight in dredging up even older tales of an naughty elfling Thranduil.**

 **Drop me a review so I know who all is reading!**

 **Next Chapter: Onyx tells the story of his tattoos.**


	110. I Know Lies

"I rather think the couch is a more comfortable seat then this chair," Onyx answered as he rose to his feet.

Galion set a tray with tea for the elflings on the low coffee table in the family room and another tray with wine goblets on a higher shelf for the adults before he left. Landion and Legolas joined Onyx on the couch, wondering if they could plead a sip of wine. Rocky left Jade's lap to be wrestled and tossed by his father. At his first shriek of laughter, Arwen abandoned her blocks and joined in.

"You will forgive me, Lady Celebrian, if your daughter is too delicate to sustain our games," Mervyn said with a nod to the elf mother.

"Oh, Arwen is made of tougher stuff then you might think," Celebrian replied, filling a goblet of wine for Elrond. "She will enjoy a good tumble."

Harune and Thranduil sat in their chairs by the small fire holding back the vague spring chill.

"Where did your tattoos come from?" Landion asked suddenly, touching the inked patterns on Onyx's face.

"Ooh!" said Jade, "Those tattoos were one of the few things ada did not condone."

"I object!" Harune protested.

Onyx wound a strand of Landion's black hair over his fingers with a malicious smile. "A fine question, little brother. Let me tell you how I came to bear these markings.

"Perhaps twenty five years after Harune was called by Oropher to attend to Thranduil, I roamed through the archery and sword fields. It was there I developed my dream to be as a great a warrior. And the greatest of the young warriors was an elf with crows inked across his cheeks.

"After seeing his tattoos, I determined to have some of my own, though ada refused to support my request and forbid any 'marring' of my face. A month or so later, on a visit to the palace, I shut myself in the library and found a book detailing the application of tattoos. When my family and I returned home, I bought the needles and ink I needed, locked myself in the bathroom before a mirror, and drew a tattoo across the left of my face."

"Did it hurt?" Landion asked with admiring eyes for his brother's tattoos.

Onyx snorted. "Of course not! Well, perhaps a little. I went astray with the needle and string several times and, when I was finished, the sight of bloody towels struck me. _Briefly_ afraid of my parents' reactions, I hid in the bathroom until Harune demanded I come out."

"He must have had a fit," Legolas said admiringly.

"Have you ever known me to have a fit?" Harune requested.

"Well," said Legolas, "I do not know what you were like before I knew you. You might have been a nervous wreck."

Landion giggled. Onyx said, "The first thing ada did was make sure I was alright. He held me for a little while in silence before we went and told nana. And the next day, my parents made the twin of my first tattoo on my blank cheek."

Legolas looked closely at Onyx's face. "Now that you mention it, one side of your face does look a bit . . ."

"Messy," Onyx accused.

"Unsymmetrical," Legolas said. "I was going to say unsymmetrical."

Onyx chuckled. "The tattoo I made is the better of the two. Regretfully, ada and nana were so busy fighting over the needle, it went astray more then once."

Legolas winced. Landion remarked, "I suppose ada thought he could make a better tattoo."

"Nana did not agree," Onyx said, nodding his head. "I am lucky to have both my eyes after their butchery."

"Excuse me!" Harune objected.

"Nothing," Onyx said. "Now give me some wine."

Legolas moved a little closer to Onyx. His eyes traveled around the room as he thought what a perfect gathering of family and friends he lived surrounded by and swore to himself he would not enter the black magic room again. But something in him knew he lied for the room seemed to dim as if he could not see the light without his mother to complete the picture.

The Prince of Mirkwood fell asleep, a hollow hole in his heart as Thranduil rubbed his back. He did not deserve to be so loved. And the Prince of Mirkwood entered the black magic chamber again after his lessons sat completed to read the books that seemed to greet him with smiles. And, unbeknownst to him, with each word he absorbed, a little piece of darkness wound its way into his soul.

Without a guiding light and afraid to ask Thranduil for help, Legolas wandered alone, seeking a way to bring his mother back but knowing his father would disapprove.

Careful not to spend too long in the room after his lessons in case he awakened Thranduil's suspicions, it took Legolas several days to pick his way through the books on the shelves.

The beginnings of summer were nearing and the river flowed blue and full with winter melts from its springs up in the mountains. It roared under the bridge outside the palace. Green leaves brought the forest to life again as the winds blew the damp spring rains and gardens throughout Mirkwood filled with tiny, new plants.

Though life was growing anew in the forest, the magic Legolas found was as old as the hills and exactly what he wanted. He took the book with him, locking the door to the room behind him, and a list of the things he would need burned into his brain. He flinched at the thought of the sharp knife he would need but told himself it would all be alright when he had his mother back.

It was easy to find candles and chalk and easier still to take some of the paper and ink he used for his lessons. The last two items he needed were not so simple but he managed to secret away a sharp dagger from the weapon's chamber when Hyrondal turned his back. He took a ring from his father's jewel case also and kept it with the knife. He knew it was stealing but how could Thranduil see it as wrong when Ailunai stood before him?

* * *

 **Ah, Legolas knows what he is doing wrong. And this time I fear it may go too far.**

 **AshNazg: I was delighted to hear from you! I think beneath all light there hides a tiny sliver of darkness, and I am sure the elves of Mirkwood feel as if the black magic books are safer there then in enemy hands.**

 **Which of you lovely people will be my 400th reviewer?!**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas lies.**


	111. I Could Not Stop

Legolas was awakened at dawn the next day by his father shaking him. Thranduil's face swam before his hazy eyes, silk swishing and crown atop his head. With a slight groan, Legolas realized it was a meeting day.

"Have you seen my sapphire ring?"

"No," Legolas mumbled, pulling a blanket over his head. His eyes jolted open a moment later as the words sank in and he looked in the direction of his wardrobe.

"Landion told me he saw you looking through the case yesterday."

Thranduil's voice sounded unusually calm. Legolas's heart sank further. He threw off the blanket and exclaimed, "I looked at the jewels but have I ever taken them? I did not take any, ada."

"You are the only one who could have _lost_ the ring," Thranduil said.

"I did not touch it," Legolas cried.

"You are lying to me."

"I am not!"

"Legolas, I do not put locks on the most precious of my jewels because I like to think I can trust you to behave responsibly around them. Where is my ring?"

Hot tears filled Legolas's eyes. "I do not know."

Thranduil's scowl made him shiver. "Did you take it out of the case?"

"Yes," Legolas admitted. "I-I suppose I meant to put it back but I forgot about it."

"Did you leave my chambers with the ring?" Thranduil asked slowly.

Legolas swallowed. "Yes. I-I must have gone to other the places with it. I did not realize—"

Thranduil snapped, "Legolas Greenleaf, have you no regard for my property or the rules I set? Have I not told you time and time again the jewels must stay in my rooms and in their cases? Can you not listen to me for _once_ in your life?"

"I am sorry," Legolas sniffed. "I will look for it, I promise."

"You have already done enough. You will stay in your room, ion nin, until I come for you."

"But—"

Thranduil cut him off. "I have no time to hear anything you have to say and I am sorely disappointed with your actions. You can stay here and think about them."

"Will you come back later?" Legolas asked in a small voice.

Thranduil paused a moment before he put a hand on Legolas's arm. "I am sorry if I snapped but it will be a long morning and I am already late."

Legolas watched his father go. His head drooped as the door closed. Harune brought Legolas his breakfast and gave him an encouraging smile but Legolas felt as if all the sunshine had gone from the room with his lies.

When his meeting finished at noon and the twins put forth the idea of eating lunch out on the balcony over the river, Thranduil accepted. When Elladan and Elrohir were throwing breadcrumbs over the railing to the fish and holding Arwen up so she could do the same, and tea and cookies were plentiful, Thranduil leaned back in his chair to let the sun kiss his face, tired from the meeting.

No one remembered Legolas until it was too late.

Legolas waited until after Galion had taken his lunch tray and no one had any reason to come back to him before he locked his door and opened the bottom draw of his dresser.

With the book open before him, he crawled in a circle on the floor, drawing a diagram reminiscent of spikes and orc teeth. He set the candles in puddles of their own melted wax at four ends of the circle. Over the candle in the center of the circle, he burned a slip of paper inscribed with insidious words. The smoke curled into the air above his fingertips dripping ink.

Legolas put aside his quill and opened the book before him. He took the dagger and slid the curved blade from its sheath. He set the silver ring on the floor, looking at the twinkling sapphire set at its center and remembered Thranduil's earlier disappointment in him. Closing his eyes, he crushed the gem with the handle of the dagger. As the book commanded, one thing of great value in coins and in love had to be added to the ritual before he spilled his lifeblood.

Clenching his teeth, Legolas cut a swift line over his hand, whimpering at the pain. The world became blurry as he repeated the action of his second palm and dropped the knife, sticky with his blood. Gulping to steady the panic growing in him, Legolas watched his crimson blood dripping into pools on the floor. It mixed with the shards of sapphire and doused the dented silver ring divested of its gem.

Legolas looked to the book and read aloud the words on the open page, feeling the darkness in each sound. Tendrils of inky blackness came off the page in the shapes of the letters, swirling around him like a cloak whipped in the wind. His cuts began to ache as the cloud of blackness grew and Legolas squeezed his eyes shut as he chanted, the words beginning to slur on his tired lips. Even with his eyes shut, the world was spinning and he with it, unable to stop—stop—until the earth exploded.

Legolas screamed as the chalk under him burst into flames. Laughter hammered at his ears, drowning out the only sound that could have stopped him; the sound of Thranduil's frantic voice outside the door screaming to him. He clapped his hands to his head, trying to find silence, and felt only his blood seeping from the wounds and slipping down his neck.

The elfling wanted to stop; he did not want to bring his mother back to have her soul reborn through darkness. But the darkness trapped him, smothering him, forcing his lips to keep moving until the last word died into the air and he crashed to the bottom of the black pit he had dug.

When the lock gave way and the door crashed to the floor under the assault of two guards and Thranduil, the elf king found his son sprawled on the floor, tiny breaths forcing themselves from between his bloodless lips while red liquid marked a rune around him.

"Legolas," the elf king breathed. "My sweet, sweet Legolas. What have you done?"

* * *

 **What has Legolas done indeed! This eclipses everything he has done in the past.**

 **Thanks so much for reading! I love hearing from you all and responding to your beautiful comments! Which one of you will be my 400th reviewer?**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas must face the aftermath.**


	112. I Want To Be Hurt

Legolas cracked his eyes open with a tiny gasp, afraid to see his father's face staring down at him, drawn with worry—anger—disappointment. He saw nothing but the ceiling and felt a brief flash of worry that ada did not care for him.

He rolled into his pillow to muffle his quiet sobs. After what he had done, ada was right to leave him alone in the darkness. His hands hurt from the cuts he had made despite the gauze wrapped around them.

A hand touched his shoulder and Legolas started. He turned his head to meet the eyes of Healer Jailil. The elf sat beside him on the bed and stroked his hair.

"I do not deserve to be treated kindly," Legolas choked. "Go away. I did something wicked."

"I know," said the healer. "But wrong actions will not right themselves when scorned or ignored."

Legolas hid his face in the indifferent pillow and cried. Healer Jailil lifted the elfling from the blankets and held him in a tight embrace, giving Legolas a shoulder to weep on.

"Where—where is ada?" Legolas asked, wrapping his arms around the healer's neck as Jailil rocked him.

"Your father is concerned the black magic in your room may spread. He, Harune, and Elrond are performing a rite to cleanse your room of the darkness."

"I did not mean to," Legolas whimpered.

"I know," Healer Jailil whispered. "Black magic is a terrible influencer of the mind."

"I wanted to stop but I could do naught but finish the ritual. What—what did I do?" Legolas quavered.

"The ritual produced nothing but a cloud of blackness," Healer Jailil answered.

"It was meant to bring nana back," Legolas murmured.

Healer Jailil hugged him. "Perhaps your pure love for Ailunai kept the magic from causing any harm."

"I-I do not want to see ada. He will be angry—and I-I am scared."

Healer Jailil looked down into his blue eyes. "You have no reason to fear your father, Legolas. He blames himself equally for what happened and he had no desire to leave you."

Legolas swallowed. "I have done more wrong then I ever have. I cannot face him!"

Tears were welling in his eyes. Healer Jailil offered mute comfort and hugged him closer.

The door opened silently. Healer Jailil felt Legolas stiffen as Thranduil touched his son's shoulders and fall still. He gave up the elfling to his father and left the room, closing the door behind him.

Legolas's cheeks and ear tips burned. He kept his eyes down, afraid to look up and see what swam in Thranduil's eyes.

"Did—did I hurt anyone?"

"Only yourself. And me."

Thranduil's quite voice cut Legolas to the heart but tears refused to come. Words of apology choked on his lips as his stomach curdled at the thought of having hurt his father.

"I am sorry I failed to realize how much you wanted your mother, ion nin. I am sorry I am not enough to fill the hole in your heart. I try to hard to be a mother and father to you but I am only one person. I too would give my life to bring Ailunai back. When I lost her, I searched for a way to bring her back. But I found none born of purity."

Legolas's lower lip trembled. The hurt in Thranduil's voice was agony to his ears. How could he have make ada fell so ashamed of himself? How could he have made ada fell as if he was not enough?

"I love you more then the world, Legolas. I have done everything to make this a home for you. And I am sorry I cannot give you the one thing you need most."

Legolas thought of Lord Katar's beatings. For once he did not shudder.

Thranduil tucked Legolas into bed, as if feeling his son did not wish to be with him. Tears streamed down Legolas's cheeks as the door shut. He pressed the pillow to his face, unable to understand the strange new emotions inside him. But he knew one thing. He wished ada would beat him until he screamed.

But he knew also ada would never do it.

Perhaps Elrond would.

Legolas drifted in a haze of sorrow until the creak of the door brought him back to his senses. Dusk was settling outside and Thranduil's smell lingered in the room. He wondered if ada had sat with him while he slept and if the door marked his departure. He sat up as Elrond entered.

"How are you feeling?" Elrond asked.

"Not good," Legolas answered, his chest a tight knot.

Elrond sat on the edge of the bed. "Thranduil does not feel good either. You will feel better if you go to him."

Legolas shook his head. "I cannot look at him."

Elrond took his hand. "He is your father, Legolas. He loves you. What happened is not held against you."

"It should be," Legolas said. "What would you have done to the twins if they were me?"

"I would give them the support they needed to heal from the wounds that caused them to fall to such desperate measures."

"I mean—I mean before . . ."

"Legolas—"

"I want to know!" Legolas shouted.

Elrond's dark eyes were startled and Legolas's insides curled on themselves.

"Well," said the Lord of Rivendell, "I would have punished them. With a very hard spanking."

"Then I want you to do that to me."

Legolas's sure voice shocked Elrond. He recoiled, "Legolas, how could you ask that of me?"

"Because I deserve it. I deserve a lot worse. I deserve a beating like Lord Katar used to give me when I made him angry."

"You do _not_ deserve it," Elrond said. "Never think you do."

"I do!" Legolas insisted. "And you used to think so to. Do it!"

Elrond shook his head. Legolas screamed, grabbing for Elrond's robe. The elf lord tried to cover Legolas's crazed hands and was rewarded with a raking of nails across his flesh. Wincing, he abandoned the bed, giving a panicked look back at the elfling before he hurried for help.

"I do deserve it," Legolas sobbed. "All of it. Pain is the only thing that can take my guilt away. Pain is the only thing that will make me feel as if I have paid for what I have done. Beating me is the only way ada can be happy again . . ."

Healer Jailil arrived with Elrond behind him and approached the elfling as he sat rocking on the bed. He took Legolas by the shoulders. "Legolas, listen to me."

"Go away!" Legolas screamed. "I do not want anyone here unless they want to hurt me."

"No one wants to hurt you, little leaf."

"Find someone who does," Legolas pleaded.

"An impossible task. Drink this tea."

At the firm order, Legolas found he had no other choice and emptied the mug held to his lips. The healers rose and left him, closing the door. Moments later, the sleeping potion in the tea made him drowsy. Too tired even to cry.

In Healer Jailil's office, the elves present looked grave.

"He asked me to beat him," Elrond said. "I do not understand why."

"A disturbing request," Healer Jailil said.

"Lord Katar rewarded all wrongs with hurt," Harune said. "Perhaps Legolas feels as if a beating is the price he must pay to be rid of his guilt."

"There may be black magic disturbing his senses," Elrond suggested. "I performed a wrong exorcism once but—"

Healer Jailil held up his hand. "We do not purify souls with exorcisms here. A ritual akin to the one we used to cleanse Legolas's room will be needed. Fetch Thranduil and Celebrian."

* * *

Ariel's heart jumped into her throat as Natoya left her mother's side and ran toward the road. Mindful of the horses and carts clattering over the cobblestones, she moved to stop the girl but Ricel reached her daughter first. Dropping her basket, she snatched Natoya's arm and shook a finger. "Bad girl. What have I told you about the road? We never go in the road."

Ariel crushed her lower lip under her teeth as Ricel spanked Natoya. She picked up her basket and turned toward the marketplace, "Let us do our shopping, shall we?"

Natoya walked in her mother's wake, her hand held tight by Ricel's, sniffling and rubbing her eyes with a grimy fist.

* * *

 **Our poor little elfling is going through what could be called the worst time of his young life.**

 **AshNazg: I promise to save Legolas before it is too late! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts.**

 **Thank you all for reading! I love hearing from you and responding to your comments.**

 **Next Chapter: A tree falls.**


	113. I See Domination

Legolas cracked his eyes open. He propped himself up on his elbows. A thin line of moonlight came through a crack in the curtains. The fuzziness in his head cleared as past events came whirling back to him.

The elfling still felt fear. But he wanted his father; wanted to feel his warm and secure embrace. Another look around the room proved Thranduil was not with him. A lump formed in his throat as he realized he had driven ada away.

Legolas's bare feet touched the cold floor. He wrapped a blanket around him and tested the door, afraid it would be locked. It opened and he stepped into the hall, apprehensive as he made his way through the dim halls toward his father's chambers.

The door to Thranduil's bedroom was cracked and candlelight exuded. About to enter, Legolas stopped as he heard soft weeping. His heart froze as he realized ada was crying. He had made ada cry.

"I was blind, ada. I did not see how much he was bleeding inside. I left him to bleed alone."

"I too was blind," Harune answered. "You must not blame yourself for what happened."

Legolas peeked through the crack, his heart welling with tears as he saw ada with his head on Harune's lap, his shoulders trembling.

"I am not fit to be a father," Thranduil moaned. "It is not right to break a child's heart over and over again because I am a fool."

"Now that is nonsense," Harune said, smoothening Thranduil's disturbed hair. "And you know it."

"I tried to give a him home where he would feel safe and happy. I tried to be a person he could come to with his fears and hopes but I failed. He said _nothing_ to me about his longing for Ailunai."

"What could you have done if he had, Thranduil? Ailunai is gone. Perhaps Legolas did not want to burden you with feeling as if you could not help him."

"I cannot help him. He will not accept he must wait three years to see Ailunai again. It is not easy for me to stand by and watch him wish for her. It is not easy to feel so helpless," Thranduil cried. "But that does not mean my son—my sweet, little son—should feel as if he cannot come to me if only to weep."

"We cannot give our children everything, Thranduil. But you love your son. You are the only person who can help Legolas come to terms with his wounded heart."

"He would not even look at me when I went to him, ada. I felt like a stranger. How can I help him if he does not want me?"

Harune sighed. "Black magic comes with a price. Performing the ritual cannot have been easy for Legolas, and I am certain he understands the wrong he did. He is ashamed to be with you with his guilt."

"He asked Elrond to beat him!" Thranduil screamed. "There is no understanding! There is nothing!"

"Elrond did not beat him, Thranduil, and you would not have harmed him if he begged you to. But Legolas is hurting inside. We may have been blind enough to leave him alone in the shadows once but we cannot do that now. You have to go to him, whether he screams or cries. He will feel your love and he will start to feel better. He is your son and you are his father."

Thranduil lowered his head to Harune's lap and wept. "It hurts, ada, it hurts so much. To see my little leaf so alone and afraid and to have him push me away cuts like a knife."

"I know," Harune said quietly. "I know."

The room blurred before Legolas's eyes and he hunched against the wall, silent tears streaming down his cheeks. His eyes snapped up as three slight forms appeared in front of him and wiped at his cheeks.

Elladan touched Legolas's hand, feeling the elfling flinch. "We were scared of our father nearly every day four years ago. We know how you feel. But we are not scared of ada now that we know he loves us. And Thranduil loves you. He needs you. And you need him."

"He is angry," Legolas whimpered.

"He is not," Elrohir assured him. "He is sad."

The sound of Thranduil's choked sobs drifted from the cracked door. Legolas sniffled. "I cannot look at him. I do not deserve to be treated nicely. I do not want him to forgive me. I want him to hate me. I cannot make it right this time."

"Everything can be made right," Elladan insisted. "Ada learned not to hit us when we disobeyed him. We did not think he could but he learned the lesson when we were together. Thranduil will forgive you. What you did, you did with the best intentions in mind."

Fresh tear popped into Legolas's eyes. "I do not want to live anymore, Elladan. You do not understand what it is like to feel as if you have killed the person you love—to have killed your heart. I want to be beaten. I want to pay for what I have done in blood!"

"Maybe Lord Katar made you believe being beaten took away your guilt," Landion said. "But it will not help. When the arrowhead was inside me, I wanted ada. I knew he might think running away from Vandril was a foolish thing to do but I knew he would not be angry. I knew ada would understand. And he did, as does Thranduil. No one is angry with you, Legolas, and no one wants to hurt you for what you did."

"Legolas does not trust me," whispered Thranduil's voice. "I have respected his voice and his wishes. If he does not want me, I cannot force him to."

A sudden arrow of terror pieced Legolas's heart. He tried to imagine life with ada and failed. He saw a black, empty void and panicked. Life without ada would be—would be—his confused thoughts fell back to the only other life he knew; life with Lord Katar. A horrible shudder ran through him.

"Legolas?" Elladan said in sudden concern at the look in Legolas's wild eyes.

Almost choking and feeling as if he was a helpless baby again, trying to hold onto ada as he was handed away to Lord Katar, Legolas rushed into Thranduil's chambers. He stopped in the door, feeling the shame that made him unworthy in Thranduil's eyes.

Harune looked up at his entry, his face displaying no surprise. Legolas reached out his arms to his father, unable to speak as Thranduil turned around. Refusing to look up, he dropped into Thranduil's lap and felt the strong arms wrap around him.

Harune rose quietly and shut the door. He turned to the elflings in the hall. "Back to bed, all of you."

"Onyx would not let me sleep with him again tonight," Landion said. "Can I sleep with you, ada?"

"As if it is a question," Harune said, giving him a slight push in at his bedroom door.

"And us," Elladan said. "Ada said we were not disturb him and nana tonight."

"I wonder why," Harune mused with a knowing look in his eyes.

* * *

Nightwing toddled toward the road, unmindful of the horses and carts trundling by. Ricel made a dash for the boy but Ariel called her son's name. As the boy stopped, she took his hand and lead him to the sidewalk. "We stay here, little night. The road is only for carts and horses."

Nightwing tugged against her hold. "Let go!"

"We hold hands in the marketplace," Ariel said firmly.

"Why?" Nightwing demanded.

"Because it is what we do," Ariel answered.

"No," Nightwing complained.

"If you will not hold my hand and walk, I will carry you."

Ricel shook her head. "He could have run into the road, Ariel. And you really ought to curb his manners before he becomes insolent."

Ariel smiled. "Indeed. But he stopped when I called him and he was not run down in the road. I prefer to raise my son my way rather then hurt him for almost hurting himself. What you did to Natoya was cruel; she did not understand why you did what you did and she learned nothing but to walk toward the road again because you forbid it. Children always go for forbidden territory. You have to address the problem with an explanation appropriate to your child's age level. As you can see, I am taking care of the problem by holding Nightwing's hand."

Ricel looked at her coldly. "I appreciate the advice but I do not believe you can raise children without showing them who is boss."

"Parenting is not about domination," Ariel said, before she plunged into a side shop and left Ricel to ponder in the street.

* * *

 **Is parenting about domination? Should it be about domination?**

 **Legolas will have a hard time facing his father but at least he is taking the right steps!**

 **AshNazg: Thank you so much for reading! I have written a story where Legolas is with Lord Katar called My Slave but I have not typed it into a Word document so I can publish it yet! However, as soon as I do begin to write it, I will let you know. There are two previous books in Nin Chronicles entitled My Lord and My Greenleaf if you want to check them out.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! I love hearing from you!**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas faces his father.**


	114. I See Disaster

The silence grew unbearable. Legolas could not tell if Thranduil was containing his anger or too ashamed of him to speak to him. He rested his head on Thranduil's shoulder, rocked gently in the elf king's lap. Thranduil had not moved from the floor.

After a while, Legolas mustered his courage. At the same time Thranduil spoke. "I am not angry with you, little leaf."

Legolas fought to hold back his tears, feeling as if passed events made tears weak. "I-I did not mean to make you cry—cry, ada."

Thranduil kissed the top of his head. "I am sorry I failed to see how much you were hurting inside. When you came home, all I wanted was to give you a home. I wanted you to feel safe and loved. I wanted to be someone you could come to with your hopes and worries and deepest troubles. I am sorry you were afraid to come to me with your bleeding heart. I am sorry if you felt I would not understand."

"I knew it was wrong," Legolas faltered. "To-to do what I did. I knew you would not approve. But I did not want to be told no because I wanted to do it. I-I wanted nana."

He curled smaller in Thranduil's lap, cringing. When he said it aloud, it sounded horrible.

"After my first meeting with her after her death, I wanted to bring her back to, Legolas. I looked for a way and found the same ritual you did. But I did not want to bring back the woman I loved through blood and darkness."

"It did not work," Legolas said.

Thranduil's hand ran down his back. "Perhaps at heart, you were as unwilling as I was. The light and purity inside you kept the black magic from taking full effect."

"I am glad," Legolas whispered. "I wanted to stop halfway through but I could not."

Thranduil moved Legolas's head off his shoulder. Legolas hung his head low as Thranduil took his bandaged hands. "Do they hurt?"

"A little," Legolas said. "It—it hurts a lot more somewhere else."

Thranduil's fingers brushed against Legolas's wet cheek. "Let your tears flow, little leaf. You will feel better after you do. And I will not be ashamed of you for crying."

Legolas looked up at him. Ada's eyes were gentle and understanding. He searched a little longer for judgment or anger in the blue depths but found none. His heartache faded a little.

Thranduil saw the pain and judgment in his son's eyes and his eyes betrayed his agony. Legolas's gaze faltered and the elfling blurted, "I am sorry, ada, I did not mean to—"

"I do not hold anything against you, Legolas, and you must not hold anything against yourself. You have nothing to pay for; nothing to hurt yourself for. When you hurt, I hurt with you."

"I do not want you to hurt for my mistake," Legolas sobbed. "I do not like hurting you."

"Then you know how I feel when I make mistakes with you, Legolas. When I hit you in anger or cannot see past my own horizons to understand your emotions, I hurt as you do."

"I love you. I love you so much."

Thranduil hugged him closer. "I know you do. And I will never stop loving you."

Legolas wiped his nose on the back of his sleeve and swallowed the last of his salty tears. He moved closer to ada.

Thranduil shifted on the cold floor. "Do you want to sleep with me?"

A frightened light came into Legolas's eyes. "Not—not if you do not want me to."

Thranduil brushed damp hair off Legolas's cheeks. "Ion nin, life moves on. I know we feel different emotions in our hearts because of what happened but nothing between us will change. Our connection will stay the same; the way we live will stay the same. I am not judging you with my actions or punishing you by giving you less. Do you understand?"

Legolas nodded. "Yes. And I want to sleep with you. I do not want to be alone."

"Neither do I," Thranduil said. "Please forgive me for leaving you alone before."

"I do," Legolas said. "But you have to forgive me for my mistake."

"I never blamed you," Thranduil said.

In Thranduil's bed, a wide space separated father from son. Legolas fidgeted on his pillow until Thranduil reached for his hand. "I will not ask more of you then you can give but I would love to hold you tonight."

Legolas let out a breath as he scrambled to snuggle into Thranduil's embrace. He felt as if all the small things in his life suddenly needed permission before he could do them. As the warmth settled around him, he closed his tired eyes.

Thranduil whispered something in his ear. He remembered the pool of black magic. For a brief instant, his hands hurt. He remembered ada saying life would be the same. He thought it might change. Just a little. But the change would be a good change.

Ada still loved him.

Legolas drifted to sleep like a boat on a gentle current. Of course ada still loved him. He was ada.

When Legolas opened his eyes next, sunshine was streaming through the open curtains and Thranduil's fingers were brushing through his hair. Legolas yawned and wriggled as Thranduil loosened the blankets from around him.

"Good morning," Legolas said.

"Good afternoon is more like it," Thranduil answered with a smile.

"Not really!" Legolas said.

"Well, we do have time to catch lunch if we hurry," Thranduil admitted.

Legolas wriggled more before he sat up and stretched. Thranduil stepped out of bed and into his dressing gown, tossing Legolas's clothes into his lap.

Legolas changed in the crisp air and held still while Thranduil combed his hair. He waited by the door for his father to finish dressing and make the bed before he took Thranduil's hand and skipped for the dining room.

Harune turned from a full table with a basket of warm bread in his hand to smile a welcome. "The day is warm and bright. I hope your hearts are as well."

"Very," Legolas said. He looked at the bandages on his hands. "But I might have some trouble eating."

Harune unwrapped the white linen. "You had better take them off and give your skin some air. Hold the fork carefully and you will be fine. Healer Jailil gave me a tin of salve for your cuts. We will rub it in after lunch."

As the elves settled into their seats, Legolas felt a brief flash of discomfort as the eyes at the table studied him. But, sensing no negativity, the feeling passed.

Harune passed teacups down the table, splashing milk into his cup and pouring Thranduil coffee. "You will need it. To tumble out of bed and rush off to a meeting is not the best way to begin a day."

Thranduil sipped his cup. "I dare say this could use more sugar."

"Meetings in general could," Harune agreed. "Pass the sugar to Thranduil, please, Elladan."

The sugar found its way down the table, and narrowly escaped destruction in Rocky's lap.

"Oh, let the boy have a little sugar," Mervyn said heartily, as Jade dusted off Rocky's hands. "It will not do him any harm."

"Perhaps not," Jade answered. "But he will not nap and we will miss our walk."

"Better get rid of the sugar," Mervyn said thoughtfully.

Lunch came to a close. As Legolas finished the last piece of bread and the twins polished off the ham, a crash resounded in the forest. For a moment no one moved as confused voices rose from below. Chairs scattered across the room as everyone dashed for the window.

A large tree dipped its leafy top in the river's waters. It lay on its side, roots exposed from the point where it had fallen. The guards from the bridge were assisting a confused elleth from where she had fallen on the muddy bank and two dazed children were picking themselves up.

As the elves in the window watched, another tree slowly tipped forward and fell. Its top fell short of the river as the guards dragged the elleth and her children out of harm's way. The tree settled to the ground, its branches waving in confusion.

Thranduil saw a leafy treetop disappear from view deeper into the forest and heard the crack as it hit the ground. He kept his face calm as a sliver of panic rose within him at the sound of elves screaming.

"I think," he said, "You had better postpone my meeting, ada. Take my mantle; I cannot be bothered with it now. Galion. Galion! Never mind the table. Run for Hyrondal and order out the whole guard."

"I will need a writ of permission, my lord," Galion said with a bow, putting down the tray in his hands.

"Never mind a writ of permission! I will wring your neck if you do not get going!"

Galion fled at the look in Thranduil's eyes. The elf king glanced out the window one more time to hear another tree fall. Legolas grabbed his hand before he could make for the door.

"Ada? What is happening?"

"I do not know, Legolas," Thranduil said gently, hearing the confusion in his son's small voice. "You stay here and let me handle this."

Hyrondal skidded to a halt in the doorway, flushed from his run. "My lord, there are reports pouring in from across Mirkwood. The forest itself is falling apart."

"Not if I have a say," Thranduil said grimly as he hurried from the room.

Legolas glanced out the window. Another tree was falling.

* * *

 **Thranduil and Legolas have worked things out only to walk into a Mirkwood catastrophe! Who can say what caused it?**

 **Apologies for the late update! While visiting with my grandmother, I lost track of when I last posted.**

 **AshNazg: I am happy you are enjoying this story so much you recommended it to your friends! Thank you for sharing and I hope they love it as much as you do. In response to your question, My Lord took place over the course of a year, and My Greenleaf took place over close to a year. About six years have passed since My Word started. I hope I have not made time too confusing!**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! I love hearing your thoughts and guesses about what will happen next.**

 **Next Chapter: Elrond must decide whether he will abandon Thranduil in his crisis or stand by the elven King's side.**


	115. I Am Wrong

"No one knows how it started," Hyrondal said as he hurried to keep pace with Thranduil's long strides.

"I have an idea I do not like," Thranduil admitted. "I have left the problem in the hands of our capable wizards. We will be able to better judge how to fix the problem once we know its roots. In the mean time, thousands of elven lives are at risk."

He flung open the doors to the meeting chamber and the raised voices inside fell silent. Thranduil took his place at the head of the round table, where the hastily assembled elves turned worried eyes to him.

"The crisis is being treated as well it might, under the circumstances," Thranduil said. "There are many wounded elves, as trees have fallen on houses and thrown elves out of their branches. The healing wards throughout Mirkwood must be notified to be ready to receive a flood and all healers on leave are to report back to work immediately until this is over."

"The messages are already being sent, my lord," Healer Jailil assured him. "The scribes are busier then they have been since times of war."

Thranduil winced. "The Mirkwood Guard has been mobilized. All outposts throughout the kingdom are to be alerted and all elves off duty are to return to work."

Hyrondal nodded. "The birds are flying. My lord."

"The Mirkwood Scouts are to replace the Border Patrol and keep a watch for attacks. Send a party to Dol Guldor in case this catastrophe is some black magic seeping from the ruins."

As his request was acknowledged, Thranduil continued, "Since no one is safe under the trees and we do not know how long this will last or if it can be fixed, all elves in danger of falling trees are to be moved to open ground. Hyrondal, Faire, your men are to everything they can to keep the trees from falling on innocent lives while the elves are escorted to safety. Use ropes—horses—anything—to control the fall of as many trees as possible."

Hyrondal and the Master of Scouts nodded, their minds alive with the division of elves and the equipment to be handed out.

"Hyrondal, as many elves as possible are to be brought to the caves underneath the palace. Dig caves and built secure shelters throughout Mirkwood sturdy enough to protect our people from falling trees. Nimrethil, the kitchens will have extra work to do. Master Eire, see to it the scribes are sending the messages as quickly as possible. We need everyone on their feet."

As he directed the outlay of supplies to be delivered throughout Mirkwood by merchants, Thranduil felt a twinge of pain in his heart as he cried with the forest.

An exhausted elven king, with feet dragging and red eyes, somehow staggered to enjoy his solitary dinner by the hearth. Though it was near midnight, Elrond and his wife were waiting up for him and Harune sprang to his feet to supply Thranduil with wine at the sight of his son's haggard face.

Thranduil rubbed his eyes. "Do not trouble yourself, ada. You must be tired to."

"Galion and I have been busy," Harune answered, as he filled four cups and passed them out. "But we all need a glass and there is nothing I enjoy more then pouring it."

Thranduil finished half his cup in one sip and slumped in his chair. "I have not been so tired since departed days of war. I feel as if I have been across half the kingdom and met every elf in it, I have been to so many meetings."

"It will not grow any easier to you had best grow used to being king again," Harune said with a smile. "Jade and Mervyn have gone to bed and Onyx is with Landion. I put Legolas to sleep in your room."

Thranduil nodded as he gazed into his cup. He looked up sharply as Elrond stirred, "You must leave for Rivendell at once. Before this grows any worse, for I fear it will."

"We cannot leave you," Celebrian protested.

"I cannot be responsible for your lives. You may die here. Your children could die here now. Mirkwood is no longer safe. Rivendell is the best place for you now."

Elrond and Celebrian exchanged glances. The elf lord rose and came to Thranduil's chair. "You did not give up on me, as you should have, when I spanked the twins and refused to learn to love them. I will not leave you now. Celebrian and I will stay here until this is over for we owe you more then we can ever repay. I would not feel right if I left you to suffer through this alone."

Thranduil dipped his head. "You are most kind but you owe me nothing and—"

"You are right," Elrond said. "We do not stay because we owe you something. We stay because we chose to. We want to help."

Thranduil met Elrond's determined eyes. "Well, Healer Jailil will be glad to avail himself of your services in the Healing Ward."

"I have missed my old place in healer's robes," Elrond admitted.

"It will not be joyful ride, I am afraid, as the inevitable will see many elves with broken bones."

"Broken bones are better tended then a spreading disease," Elrond said.

Thranduil finished his wine and rose to his feet. Harune walked with him to the door and watched him go. He dropped his arms at his side with a small sigh and went to cork the wine bottle. He hesitated with the cork in one hand, refilled his cup, and shut the bottle.

In his dim bedchamber, Thranduil changed by a sputtering candle. He blew out the little light and climbed into bed. Legolas was curled small in the center of the great mattress. Ignoring placement of pillows, Thranduil snuggled Legolas into his arms and curled around his son, feeling as if he needed to hold Legolas more then Legolas needed to hold him.

* * *

When Thranduil cracked his eyes open and rolled onto his back, his hand did not come up against his son. Awakened by curiosity, Thranduil untangled the blankets around his legs and slid out of bed.

The last rays of purple were fading from the sky as Thranduil peeked out the window over Legolas's head and drew in a sharp breath. Legolas looked up at him, twisting a strand of hair around his finger.

The forest line began far back from the palace save for one tree growing by the window. Tree trunks had fallen back into the embrace of their family behind them and collapsed to the grass ahead. Roots dangled in the air, sad to be ripped from soil.

Thranduil swung away from the window, closing his eyes to wink away hot tears as he hopped into his clothes, combed his hair, and rushed from the room.

Legolas drifted into his clothes, ran a comb through his hair, and trailed in his father's footsteps. When he arrived at the breakfast table, the faces of his family said a hurricane had hit.

Thranduil was already gone. Legolas could imagine him eating bread and jam on his rush to a morning meeting as he slumped into his seat.

"I did not sleep well," he said, to silence queries about his treacherous face.

"It is difficult to sleep when trees are falling and with them, your heart," Harune agreed. "Have some tea; you will feel better."

Legolas, Landion, and the twins finished breakfast and moved to the library. Master Eire met them at the door. "There will be no lessons until more peaceful times are upon us. And archery is canceled until the forest is safe."

Legolas peeked past him and beheld the new sight of dozens of elves filling the tables moved to form a line down the open floor. They scratched with vigor, moving blank parchment from the pile on their left, to the center of the desk, and to the finished pile on their right. Elves circulated, gathering the written messages.

"But I want to do something," Legolas began. "Ada is busy and I am all alone."

"Well," said Master Eire. "You should have thought about the consequences before you created this mess."

He shut the door firmly and quietly but it was the loudest slam Legolas had ever heard. He clenched his hands at his side as hot tears filled his eyes.

"Legolas?" Landion said softly, peering at his face.

"Do not," Legolas whispered. "Please—leave me alone."

Landion stood back with his brows drawn tight. Elladan touched Legolas's arm. "What is the matter?"

"It is my fault," Legolas choked. "No one will ever forgive me. I cannot find forgiveness. I cannot even ask for it."

"Thranduil knows about forgiveness," Elladan said. "He helped Elrohir and I forgive ada and nana for spanking us. He will help you."

Legolas shook his head. "No. I destroyed his home."

The twins and Landion watched the elfling walk away. Landion's lips twitched. He looked at the twins.

"There is no comfort for anyone when they are afraid of their parents," Elrohir said. His eyes were sad. "Words will not do any good right now."

Landion turned away. It seemed time had disappeared. Harune and Galion were thundering through the palace with fleets of servants in their wake, Elrond had gone to the Healing Ward, Celebrian was with Rocky and Arwen. Jade had volunteered her services in the pantry department and Mervyn had offered to oversee the equipping of elves about to enter the dangerous world of falling trees.

And busiest of all was Thranduil.

Landion knew it would be wrong to worry Thranduil with Legolas's grief but it felt wrong to watch his nephew suffer. Legolas had gone to a meeting in his father's stead so Thranduil could sit with him while the arrowhead had been inside him.

It was time to return the favor

* * *

 **Not all the elves in Mirkwood forgive easily. It is easier to blame then forgive, is it not?**

 **Thank you all for reading! I love responding to your thoughts and suggestions.**

 **Next Chapter: Onyx and Harune discuss Sapphire's death.**


	116. I Am Ashamed

Legolas's head drooped as he sat before the empty hearth, rocking back and forth without rhyme of reason. He pressed his feet together with his hands and saw shifting darkness for his eyes were closed.

The elfling heard another tree fall.

He heard the door open.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and cringed. He recognized the rustle of Thranduil's robe and the smell of pine his father always carried about without opening his eyes.

Thranduil sat down beside him. "I understand you are not feeling well."

Legolas rested his chin on his drawn up knees. "It is my heart. It does not feel forgiven for what I have done. I am to blame, am I not?"

Thranduil thought about Legolas's words before he responded. "Well, there are times in our lives when we must accept responsibility for our actions. But accepting responsibility for something does not mean you are accepting blame. Blame is something others try to heap upon you and fault is a mistake that is soon mended when you accept responsibility and learn how to correct your error."

Legolas pressed his cheek against his knee. "I accept responsibility for this. I know it is a big thing to accept responsibility for but I am ready to bear it. I want to fix my mistake, ada, but I do know how."

"If it is any consolation, I do not know how to mend the forest either," Thranduil said, fondling Legolas's hair. "I my best the only way I know how and try to keep everyone safe."

"Is there anything I can do to help you?" Legolas asked.

"Well, you could help Master Eire copy messages," Thranduil said.

Legolas looked down. "I do not want to be with him. I went to see him this morning and he hinted this was my fault. He blames me."

"I am sorry he hurt you with his words."

"Many elves must blame me," Legolas said softly.

"I am sure there are elves who do see you as the cause of their problems," Thranduil agreed. "But you must not let it drag you down."

"I should apologize to them—try to explain what happened and why it happened. Do you think they would listen?"

"I think they would. But there is no time to call an assembly until as many elves as possible are safe in the caves beneath the palace. Once the initial rush is over, I will call a meeting and you may address our people."

Legolas picked at the hem of his tunic. "I am scared to face them."

"Legolas, my little ion nin, you have no need to fear our people. I know frowns and blame hurt your little heart but your intentions will shine through. No one will blame you for this once they understand why it happened."

Legolas looked into his father's eyes and nodded. "I am sorry I made this extra work for you. And endangered so many lives."

"Now, Legolas, you must understand what you are accepting responsibility for. You are accepting responsibility for creating the black magic. The falling trees and the hurt elves, the extra work and endangered lives are a chain reaction and not part of what you did. You accept responsibility for starting the chain reaction. The rest is a consequence."

Legolas turned his father's words over in his mind. "I see. But I have to accept some responsibility for the chain reaction since I began it."

"Some," Thranduil agreed. "But not all."

"If I cannot help Master Eire, is there anything else I can do?"

"I think Nimrethil could use you if you came equipped with paper and pencil," Thranduil said. "She is taking stock of the pantries for the elves in the caves must be fed."

Legolas moved close to his father to hug him. "Hannon le, ada."

Thranduil smiled and kissed Legolas's forehead. "Amin meleth le, my little leaf. I am glad I can be here for you."

Legolas watched his father leave. Landion slipped through the door and hesitated, his eyes betraying he had fetched Thranduil, but Legolas turned to him and smiled. "Thank you for bringing my father."

Landion's shoulders relaxed and he ran to join Legolas. "I knew you needed him. Are you better now?"

Legolas tilted his head to one side. "I think so."

The elflings sat in silence until Legolas stretched his legs. "I should help Nimrethil."

"Can I come to?" Landion asked.

Legolas considered. "Well, ada did not say you could not help so I think you can."

Landion jumped to his feet. "I will fetch some paper and pencils!"

Legolas passed Onyx outside the door and waved to the elf who felt more like an uncle then Landion ever would. Onyx returned his greeting with a smile and sat down on the sofa with a troubled face.

The shadows were long outside the palace and the dinner table cleared of the last meal when Onyx roamed the halls in search of his father. Harune's bedchamber was empty if one did not count Landion asleep in the big bed. A sliver of candlelight shining from under Elrond's door meant the elf lord was up talking with his wife and a peek into Thranduil's chamber revealed Legolas listening to a story.

Onyx strolled back to the family room and found Harune with his feet on an ottoman and a glass of wine in hand. He hesitated in the doorway until Harune saw him and waved him over. Onyx sank into the sofa with a sigh.

"I see you have something on your mind," Harune said, putting a glass of wine in Onyx's hand. "Do you want to share?"

Onyx twirled the glass stem between his fingers, rolling it back and forth as he collected his thoughts. He leaned his elbows on his knees and looked up. "I left because I thought it would cause you pain to look at me."

"My darling ion nin, if any father looks at his child and feels pain, he has done something terribly wrong in the raising of his son or daughter. And I assure you I have made no such mistake."

Onyx turned his eyes away from Harune's face. "I am the one who made the mistake, ada. I blamed for Sapphire's death."

Harune squeezed Onyx's shoulder. "I know you did, and I tried so hard to show you the blame was nonexistent. But there are times when words fall on deaf ears. I am sorry I could not help you then."

Onyx stared at the white liquid in his glass. His hand trembled until Harune steadied his wrist and took the glass before it dropped.

"I buried many feelings the day nana died," Onyx whispered. "But standing outside the door and listening to Legolas and Thranduil talk about forgiveness brought the feelings back. Legolas turned to his father so willingly."

"I did raise Thranduil, you know," Harune said in amusement. "And I am hoping my son will turn to his father with as much trust in his eyes as Legolas did."

Onyx bit his lip, ashamed of the tears springing into his eyes. He felt Harune's arm slid over his shoulders and draw him close.

"Onyx, there is no shame in tears. Have I made such a mistake you are afraid to cry in front of me?"

"I have been away too long," Onyx choked. "It is not you."

He rested his head on Harune's shoulder and let the tears slip down his cheeks. "My heart broke the day nana died."

"As did mine. And I grieved the death of my wife as I have grieved the death of no other. But I rejoiced in my grief because I still have my son. And I never once blamed you for not protecting Sapphire," said Harune.

"I know that now," Onyx said. "I made a mistake leaving. I missed you, ada. I missed being a part of the Mirkwood guard. I missed my family and my life. But I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought I was giving you your happiness."

"I missed you to," Harune said. "But I wanted to give you your space and because you never said anything, I never guessed how much you were struggling. You seemed happy as a dance teacher."

Onyx smiled. "I enjoy teaching elflings to dance and I feel free moving to music. But my body prefers the dance of battle then one of courtship and it will never be different."

"If you do choose to come home, we will welcome you with open arms. Looking at you does not bring me any pain."

Onyx clasped his hands in his lap. "I am here to ask for forgiveness, ada. I made mistakes and I hurt the people I love. I hurt myself. I accept I could not protect nana as I would have liked. I accept I am not a failure as a warrior and nana's death does not mean I am."

* * *

 **Fathers and sons have resolved their differences! And Onyx has finally ridden himself of all festering feelings.**

 **Thank you so much for reading. I love hearing and responding to all your lovely comments.**

 **AshNazg: The events in the Hobbit have not yet come around. Legolas did blame himself for what the black magic ritual did to Mirkwood now but I think he is learning to forgive himself. Thanks so much for reading!**

 **Next chapter: Harune and Onyx continue their discussion.**


	117. I Confessed

Harune reached for Onyx's hands. "I do not see anything to forgive, ion nin. But if it will make you feel better, I forgive you. Will you forgive me for not being at your side to help you after Sapphire died?"

Harune's hands held his. Onyx nodded. "Yes. This would have been so much easier if we had helped each other to begin with, would it not?"

Harune chuckled. "We all make mistakes, Onyx. But the important thing is we mend them. And I am glad you came to me."

"You are my father," Onyx said. "How could I not come to you? Even when I was an elfling, it used to take me a couple hours to come to you and confess I had broken something. This time it just took a couple decades."

Harune laughed. "So it did."

"Were you truly not angry when I tattooed myself?"

Harune hugged his son to him. "My first thought was one of concern. I was afraid you had hurt yourself and I was disappointed in myself that I had forced you to do something behind my back. I did not make the same mistake again."

"But were you upset?" Onyx insisted. "I have to know."

"I was not upset," Harune answered. He touched Onyx's cheek and wiped away the teardrops. "I promise."

Onyx moved closer to his father and accepted his embrace. He rested his cheek on Harune's shoulder, feeling fingers combing his hair. "Legolas may say it of Thranduil but you are the best father in Middle Earth."

"Every child will say it of their parents because every child needs someone special to them," Harune said. "I would not be the best father in the world to Helena or Svain."

"No," said Onyx. "But you would be a good one. You are a good person to be with children. I learned from you; sometimes I feel so frustrated with the elflings I teach, I want to smack them."

"And do you?"

"Of course not! You never smacked us. You and nana taught me patience and kindness and I use it every day."

Harune smiled. "I was blessed with the best son in the world. But even if you had been a little wretch, I would not have smacked you."

"I know," Onyx said. He hesitated. "I was not as patient as you. I spanked a child once."

Harune tipped his head. "We all explore options."

"You are too understanding," Onyx growled.

"Well," said Harune. "I am curious. Do you want to tell me about it?"

"One of my first students was a rude, disrespectful, disruptive girl who refused to listen to me and enjoyed making her classmates scream by teasing and taunting them. She would not listen to me and, a few days after her arrival, I took her into a side room for the studio and I spanked her. I regretted it the moment I did it but somehow I could not stop myself in time.

"The next day the girl was twice as worse as the day before. She pinched and sneered and pulled hair, pushed, shoved, and made the day's lesson thoroughly unpleasant."

"I often find that, unless you are willing to spank harder and harder until the behavior is driven away through pain and violence, spanking is useless. It does not inspire connection or trust and it does not build a relationship."

"I learned the hard way," Onyx said. "Anyhow, the second time round I kept the girl after class and instead of punishing her, I talked with her like you used to talk with me and Jade when we fought. I also apologized for spanking her. It turned out she had trouble balancing and, because balance and agility come naturally to elves, she was teased for being clumsy. Her parents were trying to change that and she felt wronged because her mother and father could not accept her for who she was.

"I kept her after class and we worked on a few simple exercises. A year later, her balance had improved and, though she is not as agile as other elves, she was much better. On her last day with me, she forgave me for spanking her and told me her parents had decided she could take the drawing classes she wanted. I saw her several years later and she was—she was happy."

Harune smiled. "I am glad you learned something."

"I learned but I was sorry I hurt a child," Onyx confessed. "I should have followed my instincts instead of harming an innocent life because I had no patience."

"We cannot undo the past," Harune said. "But we can live by healing the present."

"You have so much patience!" Onyx exclaimed. He paused. "Knowing that, you must have truly hated Elrond if he drove you to whip him."

"I would never hit a child," Harune said. "But Elrond is not a child. And seeing him breaking the twins' hearts day by tormenting day broke mine. I thought perhaps if he felt the same pain he inflicted on his sons, he would understand why a different way was better. But the pain only made him angrier and blinder. I only whipped him twice before I realized I too had made a mistake. I apologized. Like you, I learned my lesson and I do not make the same mistake twice."

Onyx let out a sigh and Harune patted his shoulder. "It is late. We should be in bed. Are you sleeping with Landion tonight?"

Onyx grinned. "I do like holding him. But he is your son so the choice should be yours."

"He is your brother," Harune said. "And I do not have the energy to cuddle tonight."

Father and son separated outside the doors to their bedchambers. Landion shifted toward him when Onyx slid into bed beside his brother and murmured as Onyx drew him into a warm embrace.

"Do you want ada instead?" Onyx asked, hearing something about Harune.

Landion yawned and stretched before he mumbled, "No, I like you. Besides, ada will be here always and you will move home again."

"Not until the trees stop falling," Onyx said lightly.

"Why does your home have to be so far away?" Landion sighed.

Onyx moved to reply but Landion was asleep by the time he opened his mouth.

"Maybe home does not have to be so far away," Onyx said aloud. He rested his head on Landion's soft hair. With the emptying of his mind, his eyes drifted shut.

When the sun rose the next dawn, it saw Onyx late to the breakfast table. Knowing Thranduil looked toward a busy day, Harune was about to begin eating without his son when Onyx rushed into the room.

Landion twisted to look at him and his eyes widened. "Onyx, you are in armor."

"I used to be a part of the Royal Guard," Onyx said as he slid into his seat. "I spoke to Hyrondal and he agreed to give me my old place back."

"Not quite your old place," Harune said.

"Well, no. He has, since I left, trained another elf to Commander but I am sure Talion and I will not run into disagreement."

Legolas held up a hand. "I like Talion. He brought me to the palace when he found me dying at the border six years ago."

"He is a good scout," Onyx said critically.

"And that," said Harune. "Is where you will create a rift between you."

Onyx snatched a third piece of toast and pushed back his chair. "I will be late if I listen to you lecture today, ada!"

"As will I," Thranduil agreed, leaving his seat.

"I am wanted at the healing ward," Elrond said thoughtfully.

"And I am helping Nimrethil take stock of the pantries," Legolas announced.

"And no doubt eating half the inventory," Harune said drily.

Landion trailed after Onyx as his brother dashed from the room. He intercepted him at the intersection with a question. "Will you be out in the forest?"

Onyx turned to look at him and paused. "Yes. Most of Mirkwood's warriors are out in the forest keeping the elves safe. I must join them. It is my duty."

"No!" Landion cried. "I do not want you to go. It is dangerous."

"It is," Onyx agreed. "But I do not intend to die today."

"I cannot lose you," Landion pleaded. "My family is small enough as it is."

Onyx looked into the elfling's frightened eyes and knelt beside him. "Landion, you know I cannot leave elves in danger. My skills are needed."

Landion lowered his eyes. "If you have to choose between your life and someone else's, I know I will lose my brother."

"You are a brave elfling, Landion. You dug out the arrowhead inside you when no one else could because you did not want to leave another elf with your death on their hands. You know why I must go out into Mirkwood."

"I do not like it," Landion muttered.

Onyx touched Landion's cheek. "I promise I will come back to you. I am not a warrior because I obey duty. I am a warrior because it is my calling. The reason I am a good warrior is because I follow my heart, not what my commanding officer demands."

"Well," said a voice, "That is a pity!"

Onyx whirled around in dismay to see Hyrondal standing in the hall with Talion behind him. Landion grinned as Onyx flushed.

"Captain Hyrondal, I did not mean—"

"No one lies to children," Hyrondal said. "You meant what you said."

He looked stern and Onyx cringed until the elf Captain chuckled and patted him on the back. "Onyx, you never disobeyed an order when you served with me; I do not give orders I know they will not be followed. You and Talion are the best warriors I have ever trained because you share the same calling. And you will be working together."

Onyx nodded to Talion, regarding the elf's snapping black eyes with curiosity.

Hyrondal looked to Landion. "I will bring him back to you. I promise."

Landion reached for a hug and Onyx gave it to him, planting a kiss on his brother's forehead before he followed Hyrondal. Landion watched him go with wistful eyes.

Harune put a hand on his shoulder and Landion jumped in surprise. "Ada! I did not hear you."

"He will come back," Harune said. "Onyx knows where his skills lie and he will not betray himself. I know you are worried about him; I am to. But I trust him as well."

Landion remembered his brother's hug. "I . . . guess I trust him as well."

Harune kissed the top of his black head. "Come, ion nin, we have work to do."

Legolas, lingering in the shadows, watched Landion skip after his father. He lowered his eyes, regretting his actions had put so many elves in danger. He looked up as Thranduil appeared behind him.

"Ada," Legolas hesitated. "I do not think I will help Nimrethil today."

Thranduil, though his eyes were hurried, drew in a breath and knelt beside him. "Is something wrong?"

"I feel bad for putting so many lives in danger," Legolas confessed. "I know I have accepted responsibility for my actions but that does not make the consequences easier to bear. Do you—do you have anything of nana's left? Like her clothes?"

"The comb I gave you after your first bath was Ailunai's," Thranduil answered. "But I do have other belongings of hers."

"May I see them?" Legolas asked, his breath catching in his throat at the thought the comb he had treasured so long as ada's first gift to him was also his mother's.

"I have a busy morning ahead of me, little leaf, otherwise I would come with you. At the back of my wardrobe is a locked chest. You will find the key to it under the third slat of my jewelry box. The chest is full of Ailunai's most precious belongings. Open it and see what you find."

Legolas started toward Thranduil's bedchamber with excited footsteps as Thranduil stepped away and then stopped. He tried to imagine opening the chest without ada there to share memories with him and found the picture lonely.

Elladan and Elrohir cannoned to a halt beside him with clipboards in hand. "Are you coming to the pantries with us?"

Legolas thought about the chest. He took the clipboard Elladan offered him. "Yes."

* * *

 **Onyx very nearly dug himself into a hole with Captain Hyrondal! Only the Captain's good humor saved him.**

 **Is Harune too understanding?**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! I love hearing your thoughts.**

 **On a more personal note, I am flying to Australia to be with my aunt during the birth of her first child. I leave on the 22nd and come back April 16th so I expect updates will be slow while I am abroad. I intend to update My Word once a week. This is not abandoned!**

 **I have also started a Nin Chronicles Newsletter I would love for you all to be a part of. Since FanFiction will not allow me to insert a link within my profile page, use the link below to access the sign-up form by editing out the spaces when you paste it into your browser. If it does not work, leave a review or PM me and I will get back to you as soon as I can. I know it is bothersome but I would be honored if you join the newsletter. Thank you!**

 **Link:** **mail chi . mp/ 910d99e659c7 / sign-up-form**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas's explores Ailunai's chest.**


	118. I Am Blamed

Dusk was settling over the forest when Thranduil and Legolas entered the king's bedchamber, full from dinner and drowsy after a long day. Ailunai's chest sat out on the floor and the silver key lay on the dresser.

"You have not opened it?" Thranduil asked as he sat down and pulled off his boots.

Legolas clasped his hands behind his back and shook his head. "No. I wanted to open it with you."

Thranduil smiled. He knelt by the chest. "Bring me the key."

Legolas gave it to him and sat down beside him. The chest was carved with a rose vine, flowers in full bloom, snaking up the trunk of an oak tree. The smell of cedar wood drifted perfumed the air as Thranduil lifted the lid.

Legolas peeked into the chest, his breath catching in his throat. He saw dainty slippers and faded roses, trinkets and boxes all lying atop the silk and cotton of several folded dresses.

"You pick an item and I will tell you why it was special to your mother," Thranduil invited.

Legolas chose a small wooden box with a blue stone embedded in the top. He opened it and found it full of folded paper.

"Your mother saved every invitation I sent her during our courting years in this box," Thranduil said. "It later held our wedding rings."

Legolas unfolded a slip of parchment and looked at the beautiful letters, faded but still fresh, on the white surface, before he glanced at Thranduil's silver band. He out the box down and picked out the slippers. "Let me guess; she wore these on your first dance."

Thranduil laughed. "Oh no, she wore the life out of those years ago. These are the slippers she wore while she was pregnant with you. They were easier on her feet since they have no heels."

Legolas weighed the green and white shoe on his palm with new appreciation for their softness before he dove into the chest again. He came out with a carved fan.

Thranduil touched the wooden slats laced together. Legolas opened the fan and regarded the little dots running up and down the wood.

"It was a wedding present from Onyx," Thranduil said. "She never went out on a summer day without it."

"I did not know Onyx could carve," Legolas said in surprise.

"He can do much more then most of us give him credit for," Thranduil said with a smile.

Legolas touched the dresses next. He left them at the bottom of the chest, not wanting to disturb their neat folds. Thranduil said, "The white dress is the one she married me in. The rose one was her favorite garb for every day. And the green one wore while you grew inside her."

"I guess that is why I like trees so much," Legolas whispered, and blinked at the tears in his eyes. He ran his hand over the dresses to avoid looking at his father and felt something hard. He felt under the cloth and drew out a book.

An expression of sadness flickered over Thranduil's face at the sight of the thick tome, rich in illustrated pages and clear text. He sighed as his fingers touched it.

"This belonged to Ailunai before I married her, before I even began courting her. She kept it on the dresser with her comb and brush. It was special to her in ways she tried to explain to me but I could not fully understand. Ailunai had a strong connection with the forest."

Legolas ran his hand over a drawing off an oak tree at midsummer. Each acorn and leaf was detailed. "This book is about trees."

He hesitated. "Ada . . . may I keep the book for a little while and read it? I would feel closer to nana reading something she treasured. It feels like she is still in the pages . . ."

Thranduil too hesitated before he answered, "If you promise to take good care if it, you may the book and read it. When you are done with it, put it back in the chest."

Legolas flung his arms around Thranduil's neck and hugged him. "Hannon le, ada."

He helped Thranduil replace the items in the chest and lock it before returning it to its resting place at the back of Thranduil's wardrobe. Legolas carried the book to his room and put it in the top draw of his dresser before he scrambled into his nightclothes and rejoined Thranduil in the elf king's big bed.

As Legolas pushed his pillows against the headboard, someone knocked on the door and Master Eire stuck his head into the room. He came to the bedside, fidgeting.

"Legolas," he said, "Forgive me for blaming you for the plight of the forest. I know what happened—what is happening—is not your fault and I am sorry I said it was."

Legolas considered. "So does this mean I can come help you copy messages tomorrow?"

Master Eire nodded.

"Will you be nice?" Legolas asked critically.

"As nice as I ever was," the elf replied.

Legolas grinned. "I forgive you."

"And I forgive you for barging into my chambers at this late hour, provided you leave immediately," Thranduil said, his eyes twinkling.

"My lord," Master Eire said, and hurried from the room.

Thranduil blew out the candle. In the darkness, he and Legolas chuckled.

* * *

Legolas paused outside Thranduil's office chamber as he walked past after a day spent in the pantries. He cocked his head and listened; Healer Jailil's voice spilling though a crack in the open door.

"—We have many injured elves on our hands, Thranduil, and the healing ward is quickly reaching full capacity."

Thranduil's pen tapped against the desk. "I know the situation is grim but do what you can. Send slightly injured elves down to the caves. We will open as many rooms in the palace as we can, if need be."

"The elves we have at the healing ward have broken bones and many cannot walk without crutches. I have sent every elf I can down to the caves but the patrols keep bringing in more cases."

Thranduil sighed. "I am sorry I cannot give you more to work with."

"I am not complaining," Healer Jailil said. "I came to update you on the situation. I am as busy as you are so you will excuse me."

Healer Jailil turned and bumped into Legolas. The elfling grabbed a handful of his robe and whispered, "Is it really that bad?"

"I am afraid many elves have been hurt," Healer Jailil answered.

Legolas backed away from him, confused eyes tearing the healer's heart.

"Legolas!" Thranduil cried as his son bolted out the door.

Legolas reached the healing ward and burst through the door into the main hallway. The space had never been so busy. Elves packed the hall, arms full with bandages and trays, bottles of medicine, dried herbs, clean sheets, and hot water. The side halls were teaming with people, the clipped voices of Healers issuing orders from within healing chambers. Legolas gulped as apprentices dashed past him with sheets stained with blood and bowls of red liquid.

Long lists were pinned to the walls, evolving before the current jobs could be completed. The air seemed tense and the elves dashing from room to room tenser still.

Legolas broke out of the busy passageways and peeked into one of the main healing chambers. The long, rectangular room stretched out along the east wall of the healing wing, filled with a single row of four dozen beds. Similar rooms composed the rest of the east wing.

Every bed was full. As the eyes of the wounded elves turned toward him, Legolas's soul blazed with fire. And it burned. The hate in the elves' eyes was directed at him in full force, every gaze confuses. Hate—so much hate—drowned him like an ocean wave, making it hard to breath. He slammed the door and leaned against it.

An elf grabbed his shoulder. His voice was familiar—scolding—scolding—as is pushed Legolas forward. His feet dragged him down and the world revolved around him in a blurry haze. Something solid under him helped him center himself and, as he blinked, Thranduil's concerned face swam into focus.

"I am alright," Legolas managed to say.

"You are not alright," Thranduil said. "What is wrong?"

Glaring eyes filled Legolas's mind, piercing angry emotions into his heart. "I-I—they all hate me, ada. They hate me for hurting them. They blame me."

"Not everyone is as understanding as Master Eire," Thranduil said, stroking Legolas's cheek.

Legolas shuddered. Thranduil stood. "Sit here until you feel better."

"Please stay," Legolas begged, grabbing Thranduil's robe.

Thranduil's eyes broke. "I cannot."

"Ada!" Legolas wailed as Thranduil whirled away and vanished. He curled into the comfort of the sofa and cried, knowing he had filled Thranduil's day with work and now he must face the consequences. But it was not fair. He had already faced the consequences . . . They all hated him . . . no one would forgive him . . .

Tears welled in Legolas eyes and heart. He could not make anything right. He could not make anyone understand . . . He clutched Ailunai's book on trees to his chest and sent out a silent plea: "Nana, please help me. I am all alone and nothing I do is right."

* * *

 **It all began so happily over the precious belonging inside Ailunai's chest. Yet here is yet another hurt to be mended.**

 **Was Thranduil right to give Legolas Ailunai's book?**

 **AshNazg: I understand your reasons are your own and thank you for your lovely reviews to My Lord and My Greenleaf. I am glad you can see my writing has improved and how Legolas and Thranduil came to be father and son.**

 **Do not forget to sign up for the Nin Chronicles Newsletter at (** **mail chi . mp/ 910d99e659c7 / sign-up-form) to receive story news, fan art, and character explorations straight to your inbox!**

 **I am having a lovely time in Australia with my aunt, exploring new places and putting new things into what I write.**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas shares a moment with Arwen.**


	119. I See Ghosts

When Legolas opened his eyes next, he groped for the book, panic rising as he could not find it. He threw off his blanket and his eyes fell on _Forest Rituals_ lying on the floor.

Someone had opened the window and the wind had ruffled the open pages. As Legolas knelt to pick it up, his eyes fell on a single word: _Understand_.

The elfling sat on the floor and crossed his legs, touching the creamy page. He looked at the window and felt the cool breeze. His mother's spirit wrapped around him, fingers trailing through his hair. He felt her smile. She was not upset. She understood. She knew what to do.

"You are right, nana," Legolas said, hugging _Forest Rituals_ to his chest. "I would be angry if I was one of the elves in the healing ward to. It is easy to blame someone else for your troubles then accept them as your own. I do understand; I wish I could make the wounded understand to."

Ailunai kissed his cheek before she faded from his sight. Legolas sighed. "I guess I have to try."

"Whom are you talking to?"

Legolas jumped and turned around. "Arwen! You startled me."

"I do not see anyone," Arwen said, coming into the room and sitting down beside him. She held a blue bunny in her arms. "Is it a ghost?"

"No," said Legolas. "It was my nana."

Arwen set her bunny on the floor and looked at it. "Ada said I should have a pink one. But I like blue."

"My eyes are blue," Legolas said. He drew his knees up to his chest.

"Ada says your nana is a spirit," Arwen said. "Is it true?"

Legolas nodded. Arwen asked, "Can I talk to her?"

Legolas pursed his lips. "I do not think she is here right now. She left before you came in."

"Will she be back?"

"Yes," Legolas answered.

"Can I see her?"

"Spirits can only be felt," Legolas told her. "They are like the wind."

"Ghosts are to," Arwen contradicted. "But you can see ghosts."

"How do you know?" Legolas challenged.

"El'dan is reading me ghost stories at bedtime," Arwen whispered. "But it is a secret."

Legolas grinned. "Your secret is safe with me."

"El'ro makes ghost noises," Arwen said. "They sound like wolves."

"Do they scare you?" Legolas asked.

Arwen drew herself up. "I pe'tend to be scared."

Legolas narrowed his eyes are her. "I think you are scared."

Arwen threw her bunny at him. "I am not!"

"I have to do something I do not want to do," Legolas confessed, resting his chin on his knees.

"Why?"

"Because it is the right thing to do. I hurt people and I have to make it right."

Arwen nodded. "I know what you mean. I poked El'dan in the eye but I kissed him and he was not mad."

Legolas chuckled. "I would have to give out a lot of kisses."

"But it is funny," Arwen continued. "El'ro pokes El'dan all the time and he likes it."

And, grabbing her bunny from Legolas's hands, Arwen skipped out of the room.

Legolas straightened his rumpled tunic and ran a hand over his hair. He put _Forest Rituals_ on a shelf out of Arwen's reach and walked toward the healing ward. He retraced his steps to the room he had first entered and prepared to face the hate bristling inside. Words and voices filled his head, memories trying to guide him in to what to say. But Legolas focused on the door and ignored his thoughts, knowing if he thought them, he would face his task confused.

The elfling glanced down the hall, almost wanting to be stopped by an insistent healer but no one came. He rapped on the door and entered.

The same force of hate slapped Legolas in the face. He drew in a long breath and faced the sea of hurt eyes turned toward him. They were the eyes of injured elflings and the parents sitting at their children's side.

"I know I am not welcome here," Legolas said. "You have a right to know I am responsible for the black magic that is damaging Mirkwood. I know you are angry with me and you should be; I am angry with myself. Mirkwood is my home to and I know how much it hurts to watch it fall apart. I know how easy it is to blame your troubles on someone else and I almost blamed myself for what I did but I accepted responsibility for my actions instead.

"Black magic feeds off negativity and hate and this room is full of it. Healing feeds off positivity and hope. I am not saying you are not entitled to your feelings but we want the forest to heal. And, if we want it to heal, we have to work together. Whether you blame me for what is happening or whether you accept your anger is within yourself is up to you."

Legolas escaped the room before the air grew too thick to breath. He leaned against the door and steadied his breath. He looked up and squinted at Healer Jailil. "You were eavesdropping."

"Perhaps," the Healer agreed. He smiled. "But you are welcome to come down here anytime if you have such beautiful things to say."

Legolas accepted a hug from the elf, needing a place to rest his head if only for a moment. After the Healer walked away, he prepared to face the elves occupying the dozen other rooms filling the east wing of the healing ward.

Legolas wandered to dinner as the sun set, tired but his feet lightened by the knowledge not as many elves blamed as before. Thranduil him met at the dining room door to hug and kiss him.

"Healer Jailil told me what you have been doing all day," he whispered. "I am so proud of you."

Legolas smiled and flopped into his seat. Harune pushed a cup of tea toward him. "Drink up. You will feel less tired."

Legolas sipped the tea with gratitude. "I want to speak to the Mirkwood warriors tomorrow. May I?"

Thranduil moved to answer but Onyx cut him off with a concerned look. "I do not think addressing the warriors is a good idea. Many of them feel you have made their lives harder and torn them away from their families, as well as injured the ones they love. There is a great deal of bitterness and anger in the barracks at the moment and you might ignite a fire."

"But I cannot make it right unless I talk to them," Legolas insisted. "You cannot say no."

"I can say no and I do say no. It is my duty to protect you."

Legolas looked into his teacup. "You think they—they might hurt me?"

Onyx chewed his lower lip. "I am afraid so."

Legolas considered his plate before he said in a low voice, "I will not speak to the warriors. Will you tell me when I can?"

"Of course," Onyx answered. "But it might be a long while so do not let your hopes run away with you."

"How are things at the Healing Ward?" Celebrian asked.

"It feels good to practice what I know and see how things are done differently here," Elrond replied. "I am enjoying the work, not the injured elves."

"One cannot be a Healer without someone to heal," Harune said.

"Legolas talking to the injured elves has lessened the tension in the Wards thankfully," Elrond said, with a smile for the elfling.

Legolas ducked his head; glad he had done the right thing. He thought of the barracks and resolved to speak to the soldiers as soon as he could.

* * *

 **Hate is a hard thing for Legolas to face, when he is doing all he can to set right his mistake. But though he has the best intentions at heart, is Legolas doing the right thing sneaking away to the barracks?**

 **Thank you all so much for reading; I love hearing from you!**

 **Consider signing up for the Nin Chronicles Newsletter at (** **mail chi . mp/ 910d99e659c7 / sign-up-form) to receive story news, fan art, and character explorations straight to your inbox.**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas is injured.**


	120. I Must

Elrond watched with respect as Healer Jailil diverted the attention of frightened child with questions about the archery fields and snapped a broken bone into place as the elfling rambled about his lessons in the bow. Five minutes later, the wounded arm was bandaged and treated and another patient filled the empty space.

Elves in light armor carried stretchers into the ward from the south door, bringing the injured to the row of operating rooms at the front of the healing ward. The operating chambers emptied as the treated elves were carried to rest and the beds were filled again.

Voices filled the area as tight-faced apprentices and healers hurried to complete necessary tasks and groans of pain haunted the halls. Healer Jailil alternated between standing at Elrond's side and rushing to stitch up delicate wounds across the hall before he was back to bind another arm and gone to save a life.

A brief lull afforded Healer Jailil the chance to wash his hands and sit down to rest his feet. As he leaned his head against the back of the chair, Pine swept into the white room brightened by a single vase of purple flowers.

"You asked for me?"

"This is thoroughly inefficient," Healer Jailil said, sitting up. "We have not had such a flood since days of war. We must open the north healing ward. It is tiring for the patrols to bring the injured around to south door when the north door might be closer and the south door is overloaded."

Pine cleared his throat. "I agree. But you forget we do not have another Master Healer to oversee the northern ward. Amenica left us, you remember?"

"She has been requisitioned down at a ward in the east of Mirkwood," Healer Jailil said dismissively. "But you are wrong; we do have another Master Healer. You will oversee the northern ward."

The color drained from the elf's face and he sat down hard. "But I am not ready, ada."

Healer Jailil took his son by the shoulders and looked into his eyes. You are ready, Pine, for the very reason you think you are not."

"I-I cannot. Lives will be in my hands. What if I cannot save them because I make a mistake or—or do not what to do? Blood rattles me."

Jailil nodded. "I know it does. But you will know what to do. We healers are prepared to see pain knowing we can end it. The Northern Ward is your responsibility now so round up your apprentices and assistants and go heal."

"But why must it be me? Elrond is a Master Healer—"

"I need Elrond here with me. You are more familiar with the way things work here then Elrond and you know the elves that will be helping you."

Pine searched his father's eyes and saw he must take up the reins thrust into his hands. He stood and straightened his collar. In silence, he left the room.

"Are you sure he is ready?" Elrond asked. "He is young."

Healer Jailil smiled. "I know he is. But he is my son and he wants to be a healer. He will be fine. We will have the worst cases on our hands; elves nearly crushed by a tree are not a pretty sight. The operating rooms across the hall are yours to command."

"They are in good hands," Elrond answered. He left, perhaps feeling a small shade of doubt.

As dusk fell, Elrond met Healer Jailil in office. The elf sat up in his chair and put down a steaming mug of tea.

"I assure you I felt very much at home in my half of the South Ward," Elrond said. "I did not kill anyone."

Healer Jailil chuckled. "We healers try not to end lives. Tea?"

Elrond declined. "I will be drinking wine around the dinner table soon enough."

Healer Jailil smiled. "Ah yes, I too will be heading home. I have a wife and twenty children to see."

"Twenty!"

"Well, the older ten have married and moved out. My wife and I had them over the course of many centuries. As the elder children left, we missed toys on the floor and little babies to hug. So we had more children. My youngest three children are ten, eight, and four. Pine is here and the other six are courting and apprenticed to Craftsmasters."

Elrond hesitated. "Do you mind my asking—I understand how it could be delicate—but with so many children, did you-um-have any trouble keeping the peace?"

Healer Jailil's face spread into a smile. "Really, Elrond, if you are asking if I spanked my children, I did not. Home peace is not about running military ranks. It is about having fun. Besides, what kind of healer would be if I kissed one bruise and left my own red marks?"

Elrond pursed his lips. "I understand that now."

He turned in his chair as Pine walked through the door and looked for any signs of disaster in the young elf's face.

"Evine has a broken arm," Pine said quietly. "But she is alright, ada, and after I finished binding her arm, she said she wants to be a healer to. I sent her home and told her not to climb trees."

Healer Jailil rose to hug his son, offering Elrond an explanation, "Evine is my daughter. She is eleven."

"I am tired," Pine confessed, dropping into a chair.

Healer Jailil stroked his hair. "I know. But it is a good tired."

"No one died," Pine said. He smiled. "You were right, ada, I was ready."

"When did you know?" Healer Jailil asked.

Pine said slowly, "I walked into the North Ward and I realized something: I am a healer. So I did my job."

* * *

Nimrethil turned Legolas firmly away from the door. "You are not to leave the palace, young prince. It is dangerous out in the forest and I understand the warriors do not want to see you."

"But I have to talk to them," Legolas pleaded. "I have to make them understand. And I will not be entering the forest or going outside. This passage leads straight to the barracks."

Nimrethil steered him to the stairs leading out of the kitchens. "No, and that is the end of it."

"But I have to!" Legolas cried.

"I do not care what you have to do," Nimrethil returned. "This passage is mine to command and I forbid you to enter."

Legolas curled his lip as he climbed the stairs; disappointed Nimrethil had turned him away. His innards winced as another tree crashed in the forest. He lingered by a window, looking out at the tangle of treetops weeping on the ground, their buds dying as their roots dried in the spring air.

Legolas's fingers clenched the sill at the thought of leaving the palace. He watched a team of elves work with horses to drag a tree out of the river. The foaming water, licking at the edges of the high bank, flattened out and moved on its way, swollen with melt from high in the mountains.

Legolas could not see the solid wooden barracks but he looked toward them, picturing the buildings in his mind. He glanced at the panting elves as the horses slid in the mud off the bank and jerked the tree to the edge of the forest. If they risked their lives to keep the river from overflowing, risking his life to speak to the Mirkwood warriors fell into their shadow; it was a pebble beside the boulder of their bravery.

* * *

 **Pine's realization is something we all experience at some point in our lives. It is the feeling of knowing you can do something without one drop of doubt.**

 **I am back from Australia! My aunt has a beautiful little girl and I have memories I will cherish forever. Coming home was a huge wave of Deja Vu as I realized how much I love my life despite having experienced a new one. I have worlds inside me.**

 **Thank you all so much for reading and for being patient during my erratic updates while I was away. As always, I love hearing your thoughts. Any to share?**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas is nearly injured.**


	121. I Want It

Legolas snatched his cloak to ward off the crisp air and slight drizzle outside. Avoiding the front gates, he tiptoed down to the east door and emerged from the palace. Two wide bushes threatened to make the door unusable as he pushed through their branches and stepped onto a faded path not used since times of old.

Legolas trotted toward the barracks, glancing up at the trees as he passed, starting at the slight creak and groan of the branches. The drizzle left his cloak dripping by the time he arrived at the barracks. He approached the largest of the six buildings and twisted the handle of the side door. The elfling ducked into a dim office room. His heart fluttered in his chest as he thrust himself out into the bunk hall.

The bunks lined both walls, reaching almost to the ceiling. Long tables down the length of the rectangular room made a dining and recreation area. Light glinted off blades resting on their owner's legs as the edges were sharpened. Elves in leather armor rested their feet at the tables, clustered in groups.

But, as Legolas's presence became clear, the noise died down. A woman with snapping black hair rose and asked, "Has someone's son wandered in?"

Legolas pushed back his hood and wiped the water out of his eyes.

"It is the Prince," the woman said. Her tone turned cold.

Legolas remembered what Onyx had said about some of the warriors wanting to hurt him and swallowed as he met the woman's angry eyes.

"I know you are angry with me," Legolas said. "I would be angry with me to, if I was in your place. I am sorry you must leave your homes and families and risk your lives for others in the forest because my careless use of black magic caused this. Mirkwood is my home to, and it hurts watching the trees fall."

"You may be safe and sound in the palace," the woman said. "But I had to leave my little girl in a _cave_ to save the people you doomed. Believe me, you know nothing about hurt."

"I do. It hurt to leave my mother and not see her again for three years. I wanted her back and I thought—I thought I could bring her back," Legolas said, gulping as if an invisible gag had been crammed into his mouth. "I know I made a mistake and I accepted responsibility for it. I am trying to fix it."

The woman shook her head. "No, _your father_ accepted responsibility for your mistake and _your father_ is the one working to fix this. You are nothing but a wretched orphan child raised by humans who came crawling here like a rat in the mud."

"That is not true!" Legolas cried. "I know I cannot do as much as ada but I am doing what I can."

The woman folded her arms. A dozen elves came to stand behind her, eyes as accusing as hers.

"Marin is right, you know," one of the elves said. "No child raised by elves would dabble in black magic."

Legolas's hands turned to fists at his sides. "How you choose to live your lives is on you. I did not make you hate me; you chose to hate me, just as you chose to be as black as orcs about your responsibilities. You knew what it meant to be Mirkwood warriors when you joined the ranks!"

"How dare you! You have no right to be angry with us!" Marin spat.

"I do not want to be hated. And I have tried to talk to you; to help you understand what I am going through and how I feel. If you want to be angry, be angry. But do not blame me when it makes you bitter! The problem is not me; it is within all of you."

Marin's hand drew back. The elves made no move to stop her. "Maybe if your father had slapped you more often for your insolence, this would not have happened."

"This is not ada's fault!" Legolas shouted.

Marin's face settled and her hand dropped. She inclined her head. "Commander Onyx."

Legolas looked up as his uncle stepped between him and the glowering elves. Onyx snatched Legolas's wrist and lugged him toward the door. "What did I tell you about coming here? Can you not listen to me for once in your life? Do you want to be hurt?"

"I had to speak to them, Onyx. No one would listen to me. No one would even come with me."

"Everyone is a little on the busy side, Legolas," Onyx said, as he marched the elfling along the riverbank toward the front gate.

"Why can we not take the passage to the kitchens?" Legolas asked, wary of the trees.

"Because, as you saw, many elves want to hurt you and I am not in the mood to protect you from a pack of angry, hungry elves."

Legolas looked back and saw Marin following him. The woman stopped and folded her arms, tilting her chin back. He heard a branch crack.

Onyx jumped back, dragging Legolas with him as a branch landed at his feet. "Let us take the passage; it is too dangerous for you out here."

Legolas shuddered and felt the ground quake as fracturing wood rent the air. He winked at sudden tears as a thick trunk bent in two and toppled forward, its majestic head descending toward the river.

"Marin!" Legolas yelled as the dark shadow fell across the elf woman.

Marin looked up, shielding her face with her arms and slipped on the mud as she stepped back.

"Legolas, no!" Onyx screamed, grabbing for the elfling's arm as he dashed forward.

Legolas crashed into Marin, knocking her clear of the tree. The trunk slammed into the ground behind the two as Marin scrambled to her feet. The tree's branches and small leaves swirled in the river, weeping tears of sap.

Legolas groaned and tried to stand. He fell back with a wince of pain. "On-Onyx, I cannot move my ankle."

"Oh valar, your father will kill him," Onyx muttered as he hopped the tree trunk and knelt at Legolas's side.

Legolas tugged at his leg, "It—it is trapped under the tree."

Onyx pressed his hands down Legolas's leg. "Nothing is broken and it is just your ankle under the tree. Hold still while we dig you out."

"It hurts."

"Well," Onyx said, as he accepted an axe from Marin, "It could be broken. Do not move and, when I tell you pull, pull."

Legolas turned his face away as wood chips flew in the air. His fingers struggled to gain traction in the muddy ground and a few chips landed in the dirt beside him. He tried to move his ankle as Onyx dropped the axe and wriggled out free where the axe had cut away wood from the trunk.

"Ow," Legolas whispered as he sat back. Onyx felt the bone and relief spoke before he could.

"Nothing is broken," Onyx said. "Your bone is a little bruised. Take my hand and stand up."

The elfling winced as he stood, limping on his injured foot.

"You saved my life," Marin said.

"You would have saved mine," Legolas answered. "You risk your life daily for others. My life is not above yours. I am scared of dying; of leaving behind everyone I love when I think about death. But when I saw the tree fall, I was not afraid. I did what I knew had to be done."

Marin nodded. "I am sorry I . . . treated you badly. Not because you saved my life but because your actions opened my eyes where I was once blind."

Legolas nodded as he clutched Onyx's hand and limped after him. As he and Onyx stepped into the cool passage leading to the kitchens, Legolas asked, "Do you think she still hates me?"

Onyx ruffled his hair. "No. And you know what that means?"

Legolas tilted his head. "What?"

"Marin was the leading force behind the hate for you in the barracks. Once she is over her bitterness, I think everyone else will follow suit. They saw what you did for her."

"Everyone?" Legolas asked.

"It is never everyone," Onyx admitted.

Legolas grinned. "I will not let ada kill you."

* * *

"I want it, I want it! I want it now!"

Ariel started and paused in her fingering of table mats as the angry cry resounded through the shop. At her feet, Nightwing fumbled and almost dropped the wooden animal in his hands.

A mother's stressed voice rose next. "No, darling, put it back."

"Dear me," Ariel murmured, peeking around the corner of the shelf. She was in time to see the young mother spank her crying offspring and march the girl out of the shop.

Ariel pursed her lips. It was a constant curiosity to her how a woman, embarrassed by the scrutiny of strangers to her misbehaving offspring, could act. She wondered briefly how mothers might act in public if they were not thrown annoyed glances by strangers the moment their child fussed.

"Come, Nightwing," she said. "Let us go home."

Nightwing held up the wooden animal hopefully. Ariel shook her head. "Not today, little night. Put it back on the shelf."

"But I want it," Nightwing insisted.

"I know, ion, I want table mats to. But sometimes it is better to look."

Nightwing considered. After a long moment, he put the carved wolf back among his pack and asked, "Can I play with him when we come here again?"

"You certainly may." Ariel took Nightwing's hand as she emerged onto the street, remembering her original mission for oranges as she glanced at her basket. Gracious, Erestor would have a late dinner if she did not hurry.

Ariel checked herself in time as she recognized the young mother's voice scolding, "If you do not behave yourself, young lady, you will get a real spanking when we get home."

She looked around for the woman but could not see her. Yet the howls of the little girl gave little doubt as to her direction. Ariel drew in a breath. And let it go. Oranges would have to wait. She followed the noise until she found the young mother and approached her with a smile.

"I wonder if I could help," she said, indicating the crying child at the woman's feet.

* * *

 **There is a time when Ariel might have stormed home in anger. She is learning to offer help instead.**

 **Legolas (and Marin) have learned valuable lessons, do you not think?**

 **I would love to hear from you! I miss reading your thoughts and suggestions at the end of each chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Ariel does what she can for a woman in need.**


	122. I Know

The woman's eyes flickered in surprise. "I . . . I do not what you could do. Anita is not . . . reasonable when she is upset."

"Not many children are," Ariel said, smiling. "But do let me try soothing Anita."

As the woman nodded hesitantly, Ariel set Nightwing on a bench outside a sweet shop and put an apple in his hands. "Sit here, little night."

"Why?" Nightwing asked.

"Because someone needs my help," Ariel explained.

Nightwing glanced at the woman, now flushing red, and nodded. "Okay."

Ariel knew he would stay put as she approached Anita and knelt by her. The girl glared at her, her face scrunched into lines of misery.

"Hello," Ariel said. "I am sorry you are upset. I know how awful it feels to be hurt."

Anita peeked at her. She tensed as Ariel picked her up. "Are you going to market today?"

"Cakes for ada," Anita said wistfully. "I will not have any now I have been bad."

"Well," said Ariel. "I am sorry to hear that. Do you buy cakes from Madame Naidin's?"

"She gives me cookie bits sometimes," Anita said with a nod. "She is nice. Like you."

"Come, Nightwing," Ariel said, holding out a hand to her son. "We are going cake shopping."

"For ada?" Nightwing asked.

"We might buy one for ada," Ariel said.

Anita wiggled and Ariel set her down. "You must hold your mother's hand."

"I do not like my nana," Anita spat. "She is not my nana."

The woman bit her lip and tears sprang into her eyes.

Quickly, Ariel led the woman to the bench. She dropped her head into her hands and began to cry, exclaiming, "I hate that child! She is awful to me! And she is not even mine."

"Children do not have evil hearts," Ariel said firmly.

"I have tried to love her for my husband's sake," the woman said. "But it is no use. All Anita wants is her birth mother. She is beastly to me."

"From what I saw, you are quite beastly to her."

The woman bristled and wept, "That is not true. What else am I to do when the wicked girl defies me at every step? How else am I to make her respect me?"

"As seeing as Anita recently lost her birth mother, I am sure she is struggling as much as you," Ariel said. "What you must do is show Anita you understand she values the memory of her birth memory and will not disrespect it. You must be slow and patient with her. You must take things one step at a time. And, I assure you, spanking will not improve matters at all."

The woman sniffed. "It is well for you to say. Your son is a model of good behavior."

Ariel glanced at Nightwing, calmly eating the last of the strawberries from her basket. She flung back her head and laughed. "Model of good behavior indeed! Why, my dear-"

"Leila," said the woman.

"No child is the model of good behavior," Ariel said. "Unless, of course, their parents beat it into them. But even then there is hidden resentment."

Leila wiped her eyes. "I do not know what to do. I cannot go on living with Anita like this. I want to love her for my husband."

"That is your first mistake. You must love her for yourself."

"Oh, valar," the woman sighed, and burst into tears again.

Ariel patted her back, withholding a sigh. "No child is wicked, Leila. It is the people around them who shape them. You must believe that."

"Nana sad?"

Leila started and peeked between her hands. Anita had her hand on her knee, staring up at her face with puckered brows. She coughed on a confused sob. "Yes, I am sad."

Anita climbed onto Leila's lap and tried to hug her. "I sorry."

Ariel saw Leila freeze for barely a minute before she snatched the little girl to her and squeezed her, shedding the last of her tears into her hair. "Gracious valar, I am sorry for hating you. I do not know what I was thinking."

"Nana happy now?" Anita asked hopefully, sitting back and wiping a tear off Leila's face.

The woman smiled. "Yes, I am happy now."

"You must join us for dinner," Ariel said briskly.

"I do not think I will join you tonight," Leila said slowly. "I want to go home and be with my family."

"This is not the end of difficulty with Anita," Ariel warned. "Remember to take it slow and respect her boundaries. And, if you need me, I live at the top of Warbler Hill."

The woman smiled, picked up her daughter, and disappeared into the crowd. Ariel collected her offspring and basket and wandered home without dinner. She drifted through her front door with vague thoughts of being accosted by a hungry husband and put her things away.

"I do not what to do about dinner," Ariel remarked, as she entered her sitting room and found Erestor waiting for her. "I suppose we must turn out the larder. I met a woman, you see, in desperate need of help with her child and I could not leave her to struggle alone."

"Then I consider the exchange a fair one," Erestor assured her, catching Nightwing in a hug. "As for dinner, I am not as helpless as you might think."

Ariel peeked into the kitchen at the table and chuckled. "Not that you cooked anything, of course. I see you have ordered in from Lord Elrond's kitchens."

Erestor kissed her cheek. "My dear, I really do not know how to scale a fish."

* * *

Legolas chewed on his thumbnail, staring at the complex painting on the wall opposite him. The meeting room was empty and the divan under him soft.

He was not good at listening. He reflected on the trouble disobeying had landed him in. If he had listened, the Forbidden Grove would not be part of history; the forest would be standing as proud as before, he would not cause ada so much pain.

He looked to the door as it opened and Thranduil came in.

"Is there a meeting I am not aware of?" Legolas asked, preparing to leave.

Thranduil sat down beside him. "No. I have been looking for you; what are you doing down here?"

"Thinking," Legolas said. "I am sorry I went to the barracks after Onyx told me not to."

"I know it is hard to listen when you think you can do better by not listening," Thranduil agreed.

Legolas twisted his hands in his lap. "I have made a lot of trouble by not listening, have I not?"

"Certainly more then enough," Thranduil said drily.

"Are you—are you angry?"

"No, but we do need to work on listening, especially communicating what are rules and what are open to discussion."

Legolas nodded. Thranduil put an arm around his shoulders. "Onyx told me about what happened at the barracks. I am glad you were not hurt and also a little bit proud you were willing to risk so much to communicate to our people."

"A little?" Legolas asked.

"Maybe more then a little. But my pride is also mixed with disapproval."

Legolas hung his head. "I know. I guess I am a little disappointed in myself to. I was thinking, before you came in, I am not a good listener."

"Maybe we have been rolling the wrong ball of communication," Thranduil said. He hugged Legolas to him. "We will work on it together."

Legolas smiled. "Okay."

"Now let us go grab a bite to eat," Thranduil said. "It is rumored there are muffins and tea being partaken of in the family room."

"What sort of muffins?" Legolas asked as he held Thranduil's hand and walked to the door.

Thranduil ruffled his son's hair. "You know Nimrethil would never send up muffins she knows you do not like."

"Yes, but I do not like orange muffins and the twins do."

"Well," said Thranduil, "I am sure Nimrethil sent up a nice mixed platter."

They emerged into the quiet hall. Legolas asked, "Are the lower regions of the palace full?"

Thranduil chuckled. "Oropher called the underground regions of the palace caves; I grew used to calling them caves."

"I call them big, empty caverns."

"They are big caverns but they are no longer empty," Thranduil replied. "Every elf we can fit is down in the caves. It is the one place trees cannot fall."

"I am glad some of the elves are safe. But I know a lot of them do not live near the palace and there are not many caves in Mirkwood."

"No, but the captains and Mirkwood patrols are taking care of the elves in the forest and making sure they are in the safest places they can be in."

"Ada," Legolas hesitated as he climbed a flight of stairs. "I am reading _Forest Rituals_ at night. Many people have made notes in. I recognize nana's handwriting but not some of the others."

"The book was passed down from a long line of Feyrin. Feyrin are elves that look after the forest; they have special connections to the trees and they are in charge of making sure the forest stays healthy and new trees keep growing. Ailunai was a Feyrin and _Forest Rituals_ was given to her when her mentor passed on the task to her."

"I know what a Feyrin is," Legolas said. "Mirkwood has been without one since nana died."

"Not everyone can be a Feyrin," Thranduil said. "It takes the calling. Your mother had the calling. But she could not train a successor or begin to train one because no other elf had the calling."

"I know you must not look favorably upon rituals after what the last one did but I found something in the book I think could help Mirkwood. I came across a chapter describing the first tree ever to grow in Mirkwood. The forest was once a plain until the tree grew. The tree gave birth to every other tree in the whole forest; it created Mirkwood; it is the heart of the forest. And the Feyrin's foremost duty is to perform a ritual quarterly at the heart of the forest. The ritual feeds the tree the strength it needs to keep the balance of the forest."

"And you are saying what?"

"Nana died and no one performed the ritual," Legolas said. "But nana is a spirit of the forest and she told me she keeps the energy of the forest intact. Maybe if we perform the ritual, the heart of the forest will awaken and help nana restore the balance."

"Assuming the heart of the forest is asleep," Thranduil said.

"I think it is. I know magic is a dangerous thing and you might not want to do it but I think we should try it."

"Black magic is dangerous," Thranduil said. "But the magic you are talking about only causes good."

Legolas's smile brightened the empty hall. "I am glad you want to help. I told Harune last night and he is already preparing the elixirs we need for the ritual. I asked him not to tell you; I wanted to tell you myself."

Thranduil leaned down to kiss his cheek. "I am glad you told me. I think this ritual might be what we need to heal Mirkwood."

"We have to perform the ritual on the summer and winter solstices, and the fall and spring equinox's," Legolas said.

"The closest of the four is the summer solstice in four weeks. I imagine it will take time to prepare the elixirs for I watched Ailunai mix them weeks in advance and set them to garner energy. We will be ready to perform the ritual when it comes."

The elfling hugged his father. "Hannon le, ada."

Thranduil turned as he heard footsteps. Two dozen elves streamed into the hall ahead, dressed in the black and green tunics of palace guards. Thranduil glanced behind him as another two dozen elves approached from the opposite direction.

Legolas shrank against him, sensing the same unfriendliness in the air as his father. Thranduil held Legolas's small hand behind his back as the elves ringed them. A woman stepped forward, her black hair curling on her shoulders.

"Who are you?" Thranduil demanded.

"Oh, you are in no place to ask questions," the woman said. "You will answer to me."

"Ada?" Legolas quavered.

"There are no guards to help you," the woman sneered. "Those we did not bind, we left bleeding."

"Ada!" Legolas shrieked as an elf grabbed him by the back of his tunic and wrenched him away from his father.

"Legolas!" Thranduil cried. "Let my son go! Whatever argument you have, you have with me. My son has done nothing."

"Oh, but he has. He was born your son. And he deserves the same treatment you do."

Tears froze in Legolas's eyes as the woman knocked Thranduil to his knees. He heard his father cry out before the world went dark.

* * *

 **It was not easy for Ariel to offer her help but she brought sunshine to Leila's day. Were her actions right?**

 **Legolas and Thranduil did some serious thinking about their lives. It takes both parent and child to create a good environment. No one can say children are not aware of what their choices do!**

 **Thank you all for reading; I love your thoughts and suggestions.**

 **Next Chapter: Thranduil meets his enemy.**


	123. I Am Hated

Legolas licked his lips as he cracked his eyes open, his head throbbing as he moved. He swayed as he sat, his arm hurting from being crushed under him, and tried to focus on the wall opposite. A cold draft made him shiver.

"Ada?" he whispered.

A hand touched his shoulder and Thranduil's warm body moved closer to him. "I am here."

"Where are we?"

"We are in the dungeons."

"The dungeons?" Legolas faltered. "Does anyone know we are here?"

"I do not know. But even if the royal guard found us, they would be hard pressed to rescue us. We are hostages and a knife at my throat will stop any attempts made by Hyrondal to save us."

"What will happen to us?"

"You are here to pay in blood for the ruin you have brought to Mirkwood."

Legolas jumped around. The woman from the hallway stood leering at him in the doorway to the small room. Four elves stood behind her.

"Who are you?" Thranduil asked.

"You do not even know who your people are. Such a person is not fit to lead, especially when he lets his brat bring destruction to Mirkwood."

"I acknowledge I made a mistake," Thranduil said quietly.

"I accepted responsibility for my actions," Legolas said.

The woman smacked him. "You are fool to think such a gesture makes this right. You have been running loose for too long; if you were my child, you would be on a chain."

Legolas shivered. "People like you ought not have children."

"You are not one to judge."

"What is it you want?" Thranduil asked. "Let us resolve this and move on."

"You will give me what I want whether you want to or not," the woman answered. "I do not need a large following. All I need is you. And I am the one who will be moving on."

She wrenched Legolas away. Thranduil cried out his son's name, Legolas's fingers slipping through his grip as three elves subdued him.

"Ada!" Legolas wailed as Thranduil was smashed to the floor.

The woman's rough fingers dug into his neck as she forced him to watch. Tears dripped down Legolas's face as his father groaned under the kicks and fists on the elves assaulting him.

"That is what your father deserves," the woman whispered into his ear. She shoved him to his knees and shut the door behind her.

Legolas scraped his hands as he fell. He scrambled to his feet as the fourth elf walked toward him, rolling up his sleeves. Memories of Lord Katar came swirling back. Legolas curled into a corner and took the beating with his eyes squeezed shut.

When the door slammed, Legolas dropped his sore arms and crawled to his father's side, the cold floor digging into his knees. He touched his father's arm. Thranduil sat up, wiping blood from his split lip.

"They hate us," Legolas said.

"There is always someone with a heart full of hate," Thranduil answered.

"What if we miss the summer solstice and cannot perform the ritual in time to help the forest?"

"I will do everything I can to make sure that does not happen. Whatever these people want, I will give it to them."

Legolas's lips were dry when he licked them and his stomach growled. The feeling was old but familiar and he knew no full table awaited him.

"Come sleep," Thranduil said. "It will make you feel better."

In the far corner of the room, Thranduil rested his shoulders and back against the wall. Legolas curled in his lap, his head against his father's chest. He felt the pain radiating from Thranduil's hurt heart until his eyes closed.

Thranduil hugged Legolas closer to him as his son slept, unable to find the same peace in oblivion. The Forbidden Grove and Lord Katar's tortures were fresh on his mind. Lord Katar had almost separated him from his son. He could not let that happen again.

But he could not see a way to prevent it.

* * *

"—Ozorne."

Thranduil knew it was the name of the woman who had brought him and Legolas here. A moment later he grunted and his eyes fluttered open as a swift kick to his ribs jerked him from uncomfortable sleep.

Instinctively, Thranduil shifted to keep Legolas safe from future kicks. His effort only caused the elf behind Ozorne to reach for Legolas quicker.

"Please do not take my son from me," Thranduil pleaded.

"He is not yours to keep," Ozorne replied. "And I do not care to hear about how my argument is with you and not him. My argument is with both of you."

Legolas's frightened whimper cut a piece out of Thranduil's heart as the elf grabbed the elfling by the hair and slapped him to wake him up. Two elves held Thranduil's arms as the elf king rose to his feet. Father and son were marched into the dungeon halls.

At a dingy intersection lit by smoking torches, a dozen elves stood with Onyx at their head. Onyx's hand slid to his sword hilt and a vein in his neck popped out at the sight of the bruises on the king and prince.

"Onyx!" Legolas cried, bounding for the safety he saw behind his uncle.

Onyx held out a hand and the elves behind him covered their mouths as the elf holding Legolas belted him across the face. The elfling trained his eyes on his hands and watched his tears drip into the cracks on the floor.

"No," Onyx whispered.

"You cannot help him," Ozorne said. "We have proven we have the king and prince. If you do not leave us in peace, their lives will end all the faster."

"Leave us, Onyx," Thranduil said wearily. "You can protect us best by doing nothing. I will give these people what they want and be free."

Onyx bit his lip, his eyes hurt under his frowning brow. Ozorne smiled. "Listen to your king while you still can, elf. He will not be king for much longer."

Legolas watched Onyx leave, his back taunt with anger. Ozorne lingered until the soft fall of elvish footsteps faded before she gestured for her people who take Legolas and Thranduil back to their prison.

"I do not understand what we have done," Legolas sobbed, as he lay on the floor of the prison where his guard had tossed him.

Thranduil rubbed his son's raw hands, scratched by the rock floor. "Neither do I, my little leaf. We have survived worse then this and we will live to see a happy dawn."

"What if we miss the Summer Solstice and cannot save Mirkwood?" Legolas asked.

"We will not miss it," Thranduil said, his eyes betraying the conviction in his voice.

"I do not care," Legolas wailed. "I am so hungry."

Thranduil held Legolas to his chest, rubbing his back to calm him. He tried to imagine how Legolas survived Lord Katar's abuse alone and failed.

* * *

 **Always there is someone who hates the King. But wicked are those who hurt the children.**

 **AshNazg: Good to have you back! Lord Katar definitely gave some breath to the scene with Ozorne but I think all abuse is the same form of crudity.**

 **Thank you for reading! I love hearing from you.**


	124. I Am A Father

Thranduil hated fighting with his son. He had never fought with him over food before. Yet here they sat, rivals over the division of the sad bowl of mush between them.

"I will not eat more then you," Legolas insisted. "You are hungry to."

"That does not matter, Legolas. You are smaller then me and you need to eat more then I do."

"I will not! If you do not eat, I will not eat. I would rather starve."

Thranduil folded his arms and blew out a frustrated breath, realizing Legolas refused to be budged. "Very well, we will divide it evenly. Give me the spoon."

Legolas dropped it into his lap; knuckles white from clenching it, and watched his father eat with hungry eyes. Thranduil wanted to leave his son more but knowing Legolas would suffer more seeing him hungry, he choked down the last bites of cold mush and pushed the bowl to Legolas.

He could not look away as Legolas devoured it.

The door swung open. Thranduil did not miss Legolas hunch his shoulders and cringe toward the wall.

Ozorne held a piece of paper in hand. Half a dozen elves flanked her. Thranduil frowned as he saw the golden crown Ozorne twirled over her finger.

"This," Ozorne said, "Is the king's crown. Passed down to you through four generations."

"I rarely wear it," Thranduil answered. "It is heavy."

"You disgrace your forefathers," Ozorne spat. "But this crown and its responsibilities will be honored. By me. This piece of paper marks your resignation as king and announces your successor. Sign it and you will be free."

"Mirkwood is a happy place compared to having you sit on the throne," Thranduil spat. "Take your piece of paper and go rot!"

"I thought you might feel this way," Ozorne admitted. "That is why I needed your son."

Legolas covered his face with his arms as two elves approached him.

"No," Thranduil whispered.

"The person you care more about then your throne," Ozorne said. "That is why you are not fit to be a king. You cannot be a father first and a king second. Your duties as king come first. I understand that."

Thranduil's eyes turned to ice. "No, you are blind. I will not see Mirkwood led by you."

"What a shame," Ozorne answered. "It seems you are not a father first after all."

Thranduil's heart twisted like a nest of snakes as Legolas screamed. His nails dug into his palms until they drew blood as he watched the blurry image of his helpless son assaulted with fists and feet.

"Make them stop," Thranduil pleaded, twinkling tears dripping to his knees. "I will sign the paper."

"No!" Legolas cried. "Do not sign it, ada! She is a monster!"

"Shut up!" an elf growled, forcing another sob from Legolas as the elfling curled smaller in his corner.

Thranduil's tears ran hotter. He could not leave Legolas to suffer while he held the key to sparing him the pain he felt in his heart. "I have to sign it, Legolas."

"No," Legolas wept. "Mirkwood will die without you!"

Ozorne crossed the floor with angry strides and dragged the elfling to his feet, as if sensing it was Legolas and not Thranduil who held the pen. Thranduil lunged to his feet with his lips curled and gasped as stars danced before his eyes.

Legolas looked to his father, blood carving rivers down his chin as it dripped from his split lip and shook his head. "Do not do it, ada. They cannot do worse to me then Lord Katar ever did."

Thranduil pressed his forehead to the wall and shut his eyes. His shoulders trembled as he heard another soft thump.

"Is that the game you play, little prince?" Ozorne said. "I have eyes and ears and you are wrong; I can do worse then Lord Katar. And I will. I will have what I desire no matter what I must do."

"You can beat me all you like," Legolas snarled. "You can even kill me. But ada will not give you the throne. Not ever!"

"The choice is your father's, little prince," Ozorne replied. "All I have to do is make him protect you."

Thranduil heard a slap. The sound made by an open palm, not a fist.

"I knew that would reach you," Ozorne said, as Thranduil turned around.

Pain exploded in Thranduil's eyes and ignited every nerve in his body. Pain caused by seeing his son over Ozorne's knees, spanked as if he had destroyed a family artifact.

"I will sign it!" he cried. "Give me the paper."

"Ada!" Legolas protested.

Thranduil shook his head, his eyes kind. "No, Legolas. Maybe it does make a bad king but I will always be a father first and I cannot stand by and watch this. Maybe this does not matter to you but it is killing me."

"Imagine," Ozorne said. "A little spanking is all it took the overcome the great king Thranduil."

Thranduil took the pen Ozorne offered him and wrote his name on the piece of paper. The woman's face split into a smile. She lingered in the doorway and addressed the last elf behind her. "I have what I want. But I am disappointed it took this long. Punish the prince for me."

She shut the door. The elf's eyes slid to Legolas faint in his corner.

"A few more punches do not matter much," Legolas muttered.

The elf hesitated. "I did not join Ozorne knowing I would witness children be beaten."

Legolas cringed as the elf knelt beside him. Instead of lifting a fist, the elf held a water skin to his lips. "I am not going to beat you, elfling. I cannot."

Legolas gulped the cold liquid until the dryness left his throat. Thranduil emptied the rest of the skin, nodded his thanks to the elf, and crawled to Legolas's side. The elf locked the door as Thranduil gave his tired son a shoulder to sleep on.

* * *

"I failed to protect nana. And now that she-orc has my brother and nephew," Onyx exclaimed, tearing the paper in his hands into squares. "I should have stayed a dance master."

Harune shook his head as Onyx tore the squares into smaller squares still. "None of us can help Thranduil as we want to. Even Hyrondal can do nothing but stand by and wait until a chance is given to him."

Onyx pinched the squares in his fingers and ripped each one into four pieces. "A sword is no good to me if I cannot use it to protect the ones I love."

"You are protecting the ones you love by doing nothing," Harune insisted. "If we make an advance, Ozorne is likely to kill Thranduil or Legolas."

Onyx threw the paper to the floor. "I know I am doing the right thing. But it feels so wrong. What if that she-orc does not let Thranduil and Legolas go?"

"We have to hope," Harune said quietly.

"I cannot believe Thranduil resigned," Onyx growled. "I would not have signed her paper for anything."

"Thranduil signed it for Legolas," Harune replied. "You know that as well as I do."

Onyx dropped into a chair. "I will not stand by and see my family killed."

"And while we are alive, that will not happen."

* * *

 **Do you feel spanking is worse then beating or vice versa?** **Did Thranduil make the right choice?**

 **Thank you all for reading! Your thoughts and comments make me smile every day and always bring something special to the next chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Ozorne is crowned Queen?**


	125. I Am A King

He felt a little dizzy. Thranduil was not sure why. Perhaps it was hunger. Or the pain dozens of fists and feet had inflicted on him. Maybe a mixture of both. Probably both.

Ozorne gestured and the elves gripping Thranduil's arms dragged him forward. Ignoring his dizziness, Thranduil searched for the one thing that mattered more then where the elves were taking him: his son.

Legolas tottered between two elves, blinking to shake off dizziness. As Ozorne walked into more familiar walls and Thranduil collected more of himself with each step, he realized Ozorne walked toward the caves under the palace.

"Where are we going?" Legolas moaned.

"We go to make known the new Queen of Mirkwood," Ozorne said. "Today is a day to rejoice."

"No one will accept you as the Queen."

"Oh, but they will, little prince. Your father's blessing is all I need."

Legolas looked at his father and wandered how Thranduil could let this happen. He could not bless a woman as corrupt as Ozorne, much less let her take the crown. Legolas tried to imagine Mirkwood with Ozorne as Queen and failed. All he saw were fields of broken trees.

The knife at Thranduil's throat stopped the angry advance of the guards at the doors to the caves. The door rose to the ceiling, split down the middle and the floor before it lit by torches. At Ozorne's gesture, the guards opened the door, containing their protective impulses with difficulty.

The great expanse of caverns were buried deep underground, where the thickest and strongest of the trees around the palace reached their roots, circling the caves in a protective embrace while their limbs and leafy tops stretched into the palace and upward to the sun. Though the space stretched into gloom lit by torches and crystal lights, it was packed with elves and bedding, tables and chairs.

A hush fell over the elves as Ozorne guided Thranduil to the small raised platform at the head of the main cavern. Her guards ringed the former elf king though Legolas sat down on the edge of the platform and leaned against Thranduil's leg.

An elf brought Ozorne a crown on a pillow of red satin.

"Oropher's crown," Thranduil said softly.

"This," Ozorne said. "Is the crown of Mirkwood. The crown your rightful ruler will wear. Thranduil ignored his heritage and discarded his crown for a wrapping of twigs when this should have bowed his brow.

"As you may know, Thranduil steps aside in deference to me. We are here today to celebrate my coronation and receive Thranduil's blessings for the future."

Thranduil's eyebrow twitched. His eyes fell on Onyx as the elf stepped from the sidelines of the cavern with a line of armored elves behind him. Harune and Elrond lingered behind him.

"Let it be known," Ozorne declared, meeting Onyx's eyes. "Your desire to protect is admirable. But Thranduil will walk away with his life only if no advances upon me or my people are taken."

Onyx's lips snarled but he held up a hand and his men lowered their spears.

"Thranduil!" Landion cried, pushing past Harune with worried eyes.

Thranduil heard the agony in his brother's voice and his heart twanged. He knew, as Ozorne knew but refused to acknowledge, the future rested with the people of Mirkwood. He turned to the sea of silent eyes before him and spoke with the confidence he had hidden in his heart.

"People of Mirkwood, I know I have led you into this time troubled with grief and hardships. I know you have given up homes and safety to pay for my mistake. And I will gladly step aside if you wish to be led out of this disaster by someone else, be it Ozorne or one of you. Unlike my father, I am not attached to the idea my blood must occupy the throne. I wish to see Mirkwood governed by a person with a good heart and the intentions of the people in mind. None of you are unfit to be King or Queen because of your birth; you are all worthy of the throne."

Ozorne held up the crown. "There are no questions to ask or elections to make. Your leader is defined by this crown; the lifeblood of Mirkwood."

Thranduil turned to her, the fear gone from his eyes and his brow dark with anger. He tore the crown from her hands. "This does not define a leader! This is nothing but a dinky piece of worthless metal!"

He hurled the gold disk into the crowd and heard it strike the floor and bounce into a corner. Ozorne gasped. "How dare you show such disrespect? The crown is the heritage of this forest; the history of our people!"

"Perhaps that is what it means to you," Thranduil said. "But there is a reason I chose not to wear it. A crown does not define a leader; it is the person wearing it that defines the crown."

"You spout fungal rot," Ozorne snarled.

"I offer my apologies to all of you for the mistake that costs us the life of many trees and homes. Mirkwood is my home and I share your pain. We all make mistakes in life," Thranduil said. "Yours affect the lives of those closest to you. But because I am king, mine affect us all. Most of us are parents and we know what it is like to guide young lives into adulthood; to teach them to grow and follow their hearts. I may be a king but I am also a father and perhaps Ozorne is right in her saying that I cannot be a good King because I am a father. I tell you the truth when I say I will always be a father first and a king second."

Legolas hunched his shoulders as the shadow of one of Ozorne's guard fell over him and tightened his fingers on the hem of Thranduil's torn robe. A tear dripped off his cheek and splashed onto his knee.

"I grieve when elves die," Thranduil said. "I do not ignore the realities of life because I live in a palace. I understand and value the ideals of work but I also strive to make sure all of you who provide for your families have ample time to spend with your mates and children. King Oropher created laws and rules that made your lives difficult and worrisome. I have spent years insuring those of you who grow food and protect the forest have the same privileges and rights of those who think themselves better because of noble birth.

"I do not want to build this forest on anger and impatience. I do not want to see the generations of elves to come raised in households where parents are constantly working or discipline evokes fear. Hurt children built kingdoms from blood and ashes.

"I cannot abandon my son to the hands of a dozen nursemaids and nannies, as my father did with me. If you do not want a king who is also a father, make your voices heard. I respect your opinions and I will gladly step aside to any of you who know you can and will lead Mirkwood with as much love and guidance as a parent gives their child."

A murmur of voices rose and fell. Standing behind Harune, Elrond wondered if he gave such a choice to his people what their answer would be. He watched the torchlight and worried over Thranduil's haggard face as he acknowledged his people would likely replace him.

An elf stepped forward. "My lord—"

"He is not your lord," Ozorne said, her voice colder then a cave in winter.

The elf ignored her. "My lord, I grew up an orphan in the northern healing ward, with only the healers to guide me. When I was six, I spent a year with a family and I burned down their barn by forgetting to blow out a lantern one night. I did not want to return to the healing ward and I loved the family I was with but I could not find the words to ask for forgiveness or explain the accident because I was afraid they would not listen. So I asked myself what you would do.

"The barn was rebuilt by a community of people that I asked for help after I put aside my pride. A week later, my parents adopted me. I know it sounds like a little thing but it meant a lot to have a king I could look to for answers and think about without feeling inferior. It means a lot to have a king who is a friend, if only in mind. I married a woman King Oropher would have regarded as far above me. But because of you, those social labels are gone. And my daughter is friends with as many children of woodcutters and cooks as she is with the children of council members and captains."

Legolas glanced up as a young girl waved from the crowd.

Ozorne smiled as a woman came forward. "Thranduil, your mistakes broke my child's arm. And there is nothing worst for any parent then seeing their child hurt. But despite that, and the loss of my garden, I am willing to see Mirkwood heal because it will be with you at the helm. My garden and my child's arm will mend."

The far wall blurred and Thranduil fought to focus on the cheery face of an elfling, banishing the onslaught of dizziness by feeling Legolas's arm hugging his leg.

"My nanas told me I did not have to bow to you if I did not want to," the boy said. "And when I see you in the forest, I do not bow. Sometimes I wave."

Thranduil smiled. "I always wave back."

"I might bow one day," the elfling said. "But it is nice to have a choice. I take archery lessons with hundreds of other elflings and I know the prince. But even though he is a prince, he is also like the rest of us and we are all friends."

The first elf to speak stepped forward with the discarded crown in his hands. "My lord, I know I speak for us all when I say it is because you are a father first we want you to be our king. None of us desire the throne. Please keep it and do what you have been doing so well for centuries for years to come."

* * *

 **If that is not the true signs of a King, I do not what is!**

 **Thank you ever so much for reading; I simply love reading your thoughts and suggestions at the end of each chapter.**

 **Guest: Ozorne is not a nice woman. Her conflict is not resolved yet but I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks so much for enjoying the story.**

 **AshNazg:** **I am so happy you connected with the chapter emotionally! I try to keep the feelings flowing. Thanks for reading!**


	126. I Am Honored

The elf held out the crown to Thranduil.

"If I am the one you wish to be led by, it is I who is honored to lead you."

A cheer resonated throughout the caves as thousands of voices rejoiced. Thranduil smiled and reached out a hand for the crown.

Ozorne's eyes turned to fire and her hand went to her belt.

"Ada!" Legolas screamed as a dagger glinted in the torchlight.

Thranduil half-turned, knowing he would be too late and too weak to save himself. From the sidelines, Onyx jumped forward, a slender knife in his hands.

Legolas watched Onyx throw it, the perfect movement of his uncle's wrist sending the blade spinning toward Ozorne. He wondered if it would kill her as he watched the metal glint in the air.

The dagger dropped to the floor as Ozorne tugged at her arm, pinned to the wall by the knife through her sleeve. As her men made a move for Thranduil, Onyx spoke.

"I never miss a shot. I can drop you all where you stand without nicking a hair on your heads. Unless you want to see me do it, drop your arms now."

The first elf to surrender his weapons was the elf that had given Legolas water. His companions followed suit with hesitant glances at Ozorne.

"You are all cowards!" the woman screamed, ripping her arm free as loyal warriors rushed to bind her and her men.

Legolas staggered to his feet, steadied by Elrond's hand on his shoulder. Thranduil pressed a hand to his forehead, the crown slipping from his fingers and bouncing to the floor. The last of his strength ebbed away with a single step and he keeled into Harune's arms.

Thranduil knew Onyx held Ozorne in capable hands but he still had to make sure Legolas was safe. "My son—ada—"

"Your son is fine," Harune said gently. "You will forgive me if I am more worried about _my_ son right now."

"Oh, shut up," Thranduil groaned.

* * *

Elrond knew he had been gone barely a few moments but the moment his back was turned Legolas, even in his injured state, had slipped away.

Muttering, the elf lord put down the bowl in his hands and stalked out of the room. He met Healer Jailil in the hallway.

"I suppose Legolas has vanished?" Jailil asked with interest.

Elrond eyed him. "I suppose you have stolen him?"

"Indeed not! But you should know, when Legolas and Thranduil are hurt, they always heal together. I gave Thranduil a larger chamber with two beds for a reason, Elrond."

"I am not sure it is wise for two people who are both injured to be together in a single bed," objected Elrond.

"In the event either of them find it uncomfortable, there is another bed in the room. I know my lord, Elrond, and he may as well be a child without a toy if we were to take Legolas from him."

Elrond grunted. "I would like to see that."

Healer Jailil chuckled. "I am sure you would. How much are you willing to bet Legolas is with his father?"

Elrond raised his eyebrows. "You surprise me, Jailil."

The elf grinned. "You do not know me as well as you think."

Elrond pushed open the door to Thranduil's chamber. Healer Jailil peered over his shoulder. "I should have won if you had been more of a player."

"I am not as stupid as _you_ may think," Elrond retorted. "I do not enter losing battles."

"That is a pity," his companion replied. "You were a losing battle from the day you arrived."

Elrond smacked him on the arm. "You have reminded me more times then a person needs to be reminded in a life time."

"A person perhaps," Healer Jailil said. "But you are an elf."

Thranduil's quiet voice rose from within the room and Legolas murmured to answer it. Two elves stopped before Elrond and Jailil with trays of food.

"We will take those in," Healer Jailil said. "I shall want a report on the North Ward Apothecaries in one hour."

"I imagine being your apprentice is a hard job," Elrond remarked, as the young elves walked away, muttering.

Healer Jailil raised his eyebrows. "And being your apprentice, I should imagine, is even harder."

Thranduil looked up as the healers entered the room and sat up with a wince, the bruises on his arms plain without sleeves to cover them. Healer Jailil piled pillows behind him and set the tray in his lap as Elrond did the same for Legolas.

"How are you feeling?" Healer Jailil requested.

"Like sludge," Thranduil answered. "Now get away from me with your evil hands. You have poked me enough for one day."

"You may be King of Mirkwood but in the Healing Wards, I am Lord. And if I see fit to decide whether or not you have cracked half a dozen ribs, you will bite your tongue and let me."

Elrond bit back a laugh as Thranduil exclaimed, "Ow!"

"You have not cracked but one rib," Healer Jailil said solemnly. "You may now eat."

Chuckling, Elrond left the room with Legolas's empty tray in hand. He heard Thranduil grumbling until he shut the door.

* * *

"Ada?"

Thranduil stared at the ceiling in the dark as he answered, "Hmm?"

"Are there more people like Ozorne in Mirkwood?"

The moonlight told him it was midnight but, like Legolas, he too had not slept. "You know, Legolas, no matter how hard we try, there will always be people who will not understand what we do or why we do it, nor give us the chance to help them understand. No matter how hard we try, there will be people who want to hurt us and who believe can do better."

Legolas gave a small sigh. "I thought so. But it is better then you think, ada. In Lord Katar's realm, the majority of the people hated him. Here, the majority do not."

Thranduil smiled and put his arm back under his head. "Goodnight, little leaf."

Legolas snuggled against his side. "Goodnight, ada. If I hurt you, wake me up."

"You never hurt me," Thranduil whispered.

* * *

 **A little warm and fuzzy family healing time is just what we needed, is it not?**

 **I love hearing from you; your comments always inspire me in writing the next chapter.**

 **Next Chapter: Thranduil shares a story from his youth.**


	127. I Heal

"The Summer Solstice is tomorrow," Legolas said.

Harune nodded as he placed a tray in Legolas's lap. "So it is. Eat your breakfast."

"How can I eat when I do not know if we can help the forest?"

"Now, Legolas, Elrond and I have prepared the potions and elixirs we need to perform the ritual under the Heart of the Forest," Harune said. "And, even if we must drag you, the ritual will be done."

"Promise?" Legolas asked.

"I promise," Harune answered. "Onyx is prepared to escort us to the tree so we may be safe from falling limbs."

Legolas sprinkled sugar onto his toast with a thoughtful expression. "Do you think we should all go?"

"We are Ailunai's family," Harune answered. "The ritual requires pure love and trust from people who care for the trees."

"We are not family," Elladan said from the doorway.

"You helped gather the plants for the potions and your parents helped me prepare the elixirs for the ritual," Harune said. "I think that makes you family."

Thranduil stretched. "And, if it does not make you family, I elect to be your honorary uncle."

"You said you would be our honorary uncle anyway," Elrohir contradicted.

"So I did. And I will keep my word, if your parents do not object."

"You will find no objections from us," Celebrian said, her hand on Elladan's dark head. "And, before you check us like children, we do not agree because we feel indebted to you. We agree because we too will be honored."

Thranduil tipped his head. "I am glad to hear you speak with such gusto. Elladan, Elrohir, Arwen, come give your uncle a kiss."

"Gwada?" Arwen asked.

The elf king grinned. "Yes, indeed, if that suits your tongue."

"Do you think it matters if I care for my family first and the trees second?" Legolas asked, moving to the side of the bed to give the twins and Arwen room around Thranduil.

Harune cocked an eyebrow. Thranduil said, "The trees are our family, Legolas."

"I know," Legolas said. "I suppose I care for you both equally."

"Your father once let a tribe of men cut down trees to build shelter," Harune said.

Landion sat on the foot of the bed and finished Thranduil's food. "How come?"

"Oropher drove the humans away from Mirkwood," Thranduil explained. "He slaughtered them in cold blood and left them to starve and suffer on the plain. It hurt me to watch him be so cruel to people who may not be elves but also live and die as we do. I fought Oropher for the right to allow humans into the forest and, when he refused, I defied him.

"Ailunai aided me though we were not yet married. She had her connection to the forest and I had those who were willing to help me. I gave the humans the right to live on the borders of Mirkwood and cut down the trees that were willing to give themselves up to build homes. Ailunai gave the trees a voice and marked those who were ready to fall."

"I bet Oropher had a fit," Landion said with admiration.

"It was not a pretty reception I received when I returned to the palace," Thranduil admitted. "But I was willing to give my life before I let Oropher slaughter innocents and, when I made that known, he stood down."

"I suppose he was not all bad," Legolas said, licking honey from his fingers.

"No," Thranduil agreed. "But he was hard to communicate with and he was not empathetic."

Legolas put his tray into Harune's hands and plumped his pillows. Elrond straightened in the doorframe. "I am not doing my duty as a Healer. The patients need rest; every one out!"

"Patients!" Legolas said indignantly. "Healer Jailil is nicer then you."

Elrond swung the door shut with a chuckle. Thranduil shook out the blankets and offered an arm to Legolas. The elfling sighed and fell into his embrace, resting his head on Thranduil's warm chest. Thranduil kissed his head and, dimly, Legolas smiled and snuggled closer.

When dawn broke the next day, it found the curtains open and Legolas bouncing on the edge of the bed while Thranduil groaned and kept the pillow over his head.

"Legolas, stop shaking the bed. Healer Jailil will have you in pieces if you so much as touch the floor before he gives permission."

Legolas twisted. "But we cannot be late to the ceremony. You must wake up."

"I assure you," Thranduil said, "I am very much awake. And, if you must know, we will be the last to the ceremony."

"It is because we are hurt, is it not?"

"Healer Jailil does not wish us to strain ourselves more then is necessary," Thranduil answered.

"But I feel fine," Legolas protested.

"You may argue your point with him. While you may be used to bruises, I am not."

Legolas bit his lip. "I am sorry, ada. I did not mean to be insensitive."

Thranduil took the pillow off his face and squeezed Legolas's hand. "It is alright; I am still a little sleepy myself."

"You are snappy when you are waking up," Legolas said thoughtfully.

"Indeed," Healer Jailil agreed, sweeping through the door with a grandiose gesture. "Much like his little son. And how, pray tell, is the little son feeling?"

"I am not snappy when I wake up. And the little son is feeling quite well, thank you."

Thranduil chuckled and tossed off the blankets, gathering his hair into a bunch over one shoulder as he sat up. Healer Jailil addressed him as he ran his hands over Legolas's arms, "Half a dozen warriors are waiting at the gates to escort you to the Heart of the Forest. Your family is waiting at the tree."

"How kind of them to leave us behind," Legolas remarked, springing from bed as Healer Jailil released him.

"Run and change your clothes," Thranduil called after him. "Wait for me at the gates!"

"You will be lucky if he does," Healer Jailil murmured.

* * *

 **We all love peeking at Thranduil's past . . .**

 **Thank you all so much for reading! I absolutely love knowing you enjoy My Word and that the words mean something to you all.**

 **Also, I cannot believe we made it to 500 reviews! I am so excited and honored so many of you have shared your amazing feedback! Thank you to Yugiyasha96 for being the 500th reviewer! You must check out her latest story, _The Courage To Mend_ , filled with hope and love and forgiveness; those emotions that bring beauty to our lives. **

**It is impossible to try for 600?**

 **Next Chapter: Will the first ritual help Mirkwood heal?**


	128. I Hear Silence

Thranduil combed his hair and plaited it into a loose braid in his chambers after his release from the Healing Ward. Dressed in a clean tunic, he picked up his cloak and strolled to meet Legolas at the gates, tsking as he found his son fidgeting with impatience and sporting an uncombed head.

"There is not time," Legolas insisted, as Thranduil turned him around and straightened his hair.

"We have the full day ahead of us to perform the ritual, my little leaf," Thranduil said, braiding two braids into Legolas's hair and pinning his cloak into place.

He nodded to the warriors waiting before the gates. A gust of warm air hit him in the face as the gates swung open and he emerged onto the bridge, holding Legolas's hand. His breath faltered, betraying his sorrow, as he beheld the ruinous tangle of treetops and roots hiding the forest floor and covering well-used paths. Where a thick line of trees had once stood behind the path on the riverbank, the line had been weeded like lettuces and left thin.

Thranduil pressed his lips thin, unused to seeing so far into the forest in one glance, and followed the warriors into a path cut through the fallen trunks.

"The Heart of the Forest is undamaged, my lord," one warrior assured him.

"I am glad it is," Thranduil said. "It may be the one way to save Mirkwood before it is reduced to nothing."

He winced as the cry of a tree collapsing passed through the air. The warrior looked away.

The Heart of the Forest stood in a quiet den, near the first row of elven houses yet somehow secluded from sight and unknown to any path. A vague impression in the moss led into the den, its floor a skirt of grass around the coiled layers of roots circling the base of the great tree.

The roots formed an alcove at each of the four directions and Harune held a tray with four golden bowls, rippling with light lavender liquid.

Legolas gazed up at the great branches of the tree, its leaves greener and bigger than any he had seen and its limbs marked with symbols of wisdom and elvish runes birds had carved into the branches.

"This spot is truly beautiful," Celebrian said.

"It was not beautiful for one young mother," Onyx said impassively. "There is a legend a mother once spanked her little daughter for screaming and scratching the Heart of the Forest. The mother was never heard of again and it is said the Heart of the Forest dissolved her into earth."

Harune signaled for Onyx to be quiet. He handed a golden bowl to Legolas, Thranduil, Elrond, and Elladan and put down the tray to take up _Forest Rituals_. No one spoke as he read aloud a passage.

"Great tree of the forest, as loving children to a tired parent, we come bearing refreshment and laughter. As a loving parent to lost children, you are the answers we seek and the wisdom that guides us in life and in dreams.

"Legolas holds Spring from the east, where flowers stir in the earth under the mixed light of sun and moon.

"Thranduil holds Summer from the south, where tree buds open and create a haven hidden by silvered tree trunks and shadows.

"Elrond holds Fall from the west, where the unknown flames to life and the forest burns without fire.

"Elladan holds Winter from the north, where the cold is as hot as the summer heat and icicles paint our visions onto the river.

"We hold balance in our hearts. We mix love and life, mistakes and anger, beauty and ugliness in a cutglass shaker until a rainbow is formed. It is that rainbow we bring to you, o Heart of the Forest. Drink of our pain and regret, sorrow and triumphs. Drink of the sweetness that is an imperfect life. Drink and know your children offer their hands for the soul of a tree and the soul of an elf are one and the same."

The golden bowls were empty. Legolas blinked as he witnessed a root twitch.

In crystal bowls at the alcoves, Celebrian, Onyx, Jade, and Mervyn lit candles. Though made of plain beeswax, as soon as the smoke touched the roots, a smell made by no herb or scent flowered in the air. It was a smell that described life in one breath.

The tree shifted slightly and a piece of moss was torn up.

Harune concluded the ritual. "We leave these flames to burn as a heart burns as it moves on the swift circle of life. Fire is energy and no tree burns without it. O, Heart of the Forest, from our hearts to yours, we leave our hearts mirrored in these flames, as the moon reflects the ocean water."

The elves bowed into the silence.

Silence.

Onyx tipped his head. His hand covered his mouth.

"It is quiet," Arwen said in awe. "No noise."

"No trees falling," Thranduil said, and tears sprang to his eyes.

The elves let out a collective breath. Harune led the way from the den, leaving the candles gaily dancing in the crystal bowls.

No sooner had they exited the grove then they heard the crash of a tree. The warriors standing on guard bowed to their king.

"Not as many trees are falling, my lord," one said.

Thranduil listened, his hopes trying to scrape themselves from where they had fallen. Where once there had been no lull in the crack of limbs, he heard pauses.

Legolas felt his heart slid out of his chest and into his toes. Thranduil squeezed his hand. "It is alright, Legolas. The ritual is doing something. Perhaps after we perform the next one, more trees will heal."

It hurt to swallow. Legolas nodded, knowing he would betray himself with a single word. He took a step but his legs failed him and he sank into the warm folds of Thranduil's robe to sob.

Thranduil wrapped his arms around Legolas's shaking shoulders and knelt to hug him close. He murmured into his son's elegant ear, "I know it is difficult seeing your home breaking like glass but you have all of us, little leaf, and no matter what happens, we will not fall like the trees."

Legolas sniffled and wiped his arm across his nose. Harune put a hand on his shoulder. "Come, little leaf, you will feel better with a warm cup of tea and a muffin in your hand."

"I am not hungry," Legolas whispered.

Landion wound a strand of Legolas's hair over his finger. "Well, I am and your share will be gone if you wait too long to eat."

"Bully," said Legolas.

* * *

 **I had great fun creating the forest ritual! What did you think? Also, in celebration of how far this story has come, I made a new cover! Like it?**

 **Thank you all for reading; your feedback and enjoyment of My Word is a constant inspiration to me!**

 **Next Chapter: The twins ask delicate questions of Harune . . .**


	129. I Blush

Thranduil used the corner of his robe to dry Legolas's cheeks before he released his son. As Legolas ran ahead to join Landion, Celebrian touched Thranduil's shoulder.

"I am sorry the ritual did not do what you hoped."

"I too am sorry," Thranduil said. "But we must learn to accept life as it comes, much like a boat adrift on the ocean's current."

Celebrian glanced at her husband, smiling with Arwen on his shoulders. Her eyes agreed with Elrond's: _I do not know how he can say that with a straight face when his world is falling apart around him_.

"Life is often not easy to bear," Thranduil admitted. "More so for those of us who live forever. I have seen worlds crumble yet every time it hurts the same."

"It is called empathy," Harune said, bumping Thranduil on the shoulder.

"Yes, or a random pain," Elladan teased. "There are times I would give anything not to have a heart."

"I doubt I could live without mine," Harune mused.

"Even after all this time?" Celebrian questioned.

"It is feeling that lets us know we live," Harune answered. "Without the bad, we would not appreciate happiness."

"Do you miss Sapphire?" Elrohir asked.

Elrond shot him a frown, displeased at his son's lack of sensitivity, and the elfling flinched. Harune caught the movement and turned to scold, "Really, Elrond, you will _kill_ the child's curiosity with such looks. It is natural question and one no one should be ashamed to ask."

Celebrian moved ahead to join Thranduil. She did not miss the elf king's twinkling eyes and suppressed laughter as Elrond objected behind them.

"I do not know what you mean. Not everyone is happy to have their grief dug up by someone who does not know any better then to ask difficult questions. It is my job to teach him to be considerate."

" 'The child' is right here," Elrohir said loudly.

"You are right about your responsibility as a parent," Harune said. "But you do not teach consideracy but giving angry looks. Elrohir has the right, as do you, to ask if I miss my wife. How I respond is on me, not on him asking the question."

Elrohir kicked a pebble off the path as Arwen scrambled off Elrond's shoulders in disgust and demanded of her brother, "What is happening?"

Elrohir shrugged and tucked a half-open leaf into Arwen's hair.

Harune concluded, "I do not believe for a minute you are worried about Elrohir hurting me or embarrassing himself. You are worried because you do not want him to shame _you_."

Celebrian clasped her hands behind her back and nodded into Thranduil's eyes. "He is not foolish, your father."

Elrond cleared his throat. He cleared it again and artfully covered his flushed cheeks under the pretense of coughing.

Elladan grinned. "You are ashamed of us, ada, your own sons!"

Elrond felt a sigh building in his chest and pressed his lips together to contain it. He flung up his hands with a snort as Elrohir asked, "So, Harune, do you miss your wife?"

"I do," Harune replied. "But when you love someone enough, you never truly loose them."

"Might you marry again?" Elladan queried, enjoying Elrond's disease.

"I might," Harune agreed. "If I meet the right person."

"Would you imagine Sapphire cursing you from her heaven for throwing away her memory every time you were with your new wife?"

"Elrohir Elrondion!" Elrond cried. "What is the matter with you?"

"If I married again, I would imagine Sapphire's blessing for a person who loves you knows you may join in union again but will never forget or disrespect their memory," Harune answered.

By the time the party reached the palace, Elrond was muttering above the light conversation. After tea in the family room, he left Thranduil and Celebrian to bond over scones and summoned the twins to his bedchamber.

Standing by the window, he waited for his sons to come, catching their faint whispers as they hesitated outside the door.

"Do you think he will spank us?" Elrohir whispered.

Elrond's heart sank. They still feared him. It lifted an inch at the next words he heard.

Elladan said, "For once, I do not think so." But his words held only a sliver of conviction.

The door opened and the twins fell over each other to stand side by side on the red carpet, their fingers behind their backs.

"You asked to speak to us, ada," Elrohir said breathlessly.

Elrond turned from the window and sat in the easy chair. "Yes, and if there is any doubt, it was not so I could spank you."

It cost him an effort to say; to speak words he never wanted to speak again but he said them for his sons' sake. Barely a second passed before the twins said together, "We know."

Elrond smiled. "I am glad. Come sit."

Once the elflings were settled at his feet, Elrond said, "I wanted to speak to you about what happened earlier today. Harune is right; I am the one who is ashamed when you ask questions I would be ashamed to ask of people. But that is not your fault. It is mine.

"My parents were ashamed of me when I asked awkward questions of the people we met. They scolded me with their eyes and with quick reprimands when we were in public and, at home afterwards, they lectured and sometimes punished to teach me respect; to teach me to feel like them when asking questions we should not be embarrassed to ask."

"They spanked you," Elladan said. It was not a question; he knew.

"Yes," Elrond said. "Sometimes. All I learned from my parents was to feel reluctant when asking certain questions. I learned to feel the same shame and unwillingness when asking things we ought not be afraid to ask and I thought it was normal. But Harune is right; we have the right to ask the question and the response we receive is on the answerer, not us.

"I am sorry I reprimanded you for asking Harune about his wife. It is hard for me not to feel uncomfortable when I should be proud I have sons who are not afraid to follow their curiosity. I am only ashamed because of how I was taught and it is not easy to learn something new. But I am trying and I promise not to snap or scold the next time you ask someone something I would be reluctant to voice."

Elrohir moved to speak but Elrond stopped him. "However, you do need to learn when it is alright to ask personal questions because there are times when it _is_ unacceptable."

"The next time you give us a look, we will stop what we are doing because we will know you mean it," Elrohir said. "And you are not just trying to save yourself a blush."

Elrond ruffled Elrohir's hair. "I can do better then that. I will teach you how to judge the situation for yourself."

Elladan said thoughtfully, "It will also be nice knowing a look does not mean you will take us home and spank us."

Elrond bit his lip. A moment later Elladan said, "I am sorry, ada, I cannot help it sometimes."

"I am doing a lot to be a better father for you," Elrond said. "The least you can do is stop making me feel like swamp slime for what I used to do."

Elladan ducked his head, his ear tips flushing. "Okay."

"Thank you," Elrond said. He leaned down and hugged the twins to him. Their warmth felt good; it was real and pure, unlike the cold warmth of their embrace when he had comforted them after a spanking.

Elladan leaned closer and rested his head against Elrond's knee. Elrond waited for a request for play or cookies but the twins said nothing. They were happy where they were.

* * *

"Ada," Legolas said suddenly, sitting up in bed beside his father.

"Hmm?" Thranduil raised his eyebrows.

"What will happen to Ozorne?"

Thranduil put down his book and met his son's curious eyes. "Why do you ask?"

"Are you going to banish her?" Legolas continued. "I know Oropher banished many people and humans execute traitors."

"No one will be executed," Thranduil said.

"I know _that_ , ada. But what will you do with her? You have to do something."

"What would you do?" Thranduil asked.

"I do not know but locking someone in a dungeon for years does not seem to solve anything, does it?"

"No," Thranduil agreed. "But, you see, Legolas, deciding what to do with Ozorne is much the same thing as deciding what to do with you when you break a vase. And I would never do anything to another elf that I would not do to you. Locking someone away is only a bed for anger and resentment to grow on. Ozorne and her followers will not be imprisoned or banished. I have decided they will spend their time doing community service and, with hope, they will see the life and love they missed and turned into something evil."

Legolas tilted his head as he thought about Thranduil's reasoning and then nodded. "That sounds fair."

Thranduil reached out a hand to smooth Legolas's hair. "I am glad you think so; it is already done. Now go to sleep."

"I cannot sleep while you read," Legolas answered.

Thranduil's eyebrows shot up again. Legolas chuckled and turned onto his stomach, hiding his face in the pillow.

* * *

 **Always love a little light conversation where learning is included!**

 **Was Ozorne's sentence too light?**

 **Thank you ever so much for reading; I love the motivation and inspiration your wonderful comments bring me.**

 **Next Chapter: The twins wish for home.**


	130. I Miss Home

Elladan put a handful of flowers down on the counter beside the ceramic vase Legolas was filling. "Elrohir and I went to the fields and picked the wildflowers there. There is not many this time of year."

Legolas glanced at the clusters of pastel blue and vibrant purple petals. "These are perfect. I know ada is sadder then he lets on about how little the ritual did and I am hoping these will cheer him up."

"Thranduil is terrible when he mopes around," Elladan agreed. He rubbed his arm as Legolas poked him.

A serving maid brought a pitcher of water to fill the vase and swept the scattered flower leaves and dead petals into her apron as Legolas exited the kitchens with the vase held tight in his hands.

"Nimrethil said this is ada's favorite vase," Legolas said hopefully, water trickling down his neck as he lurched forward.

"I rather think it was Ailunai's favorite vase," Elrohir said critically, eying the pattern on the ceramic. "And Thranduil liked it for her. It is awfully floral."

"Well," said Legolas, sticking his nose in the air. "I do not know about yours but my ada does not mind flowers."

Elrohir grinned and opened Thranduil's office door. The twins lingered in the door to watch the delivery.

"I brought you something, ada," Legolas announced.

Thranduil's pen scribbled with fury across the paper before him. "Thank you, Legolas. Clear a space and put it on my desk."

"Are you not even going to look at it?" Legolas asked, hurt.

Thranduil's pen stopped at the tone of his voice and the elf king looked up. "I am sorry, Legolas, when I am busy I—" His voice broke and the pen dropped to the desk.

"Ada?!"

Thranduil jumped to his feet and put a hand on Legolas's arm. "It is alright, Legolas, I am fine. The vase—I have not seen it in years."

"I . . . am sorry, ada," Legolas said. "If I had known you minded, I would have left it in the cupboard. I can find another one."

"No, no. It is not the vase so much but the flowers . . ."

Thranduil's eyes were fastened on the rose buds outside the window. A splash of water wet Legolas's tunic as his arms trembled. He put the vase down, aware of Thranduil's silence, and tested the feelings in the air.

Thranduil was sad.

"I never meant to hurt you," Legolas cried. "I thought you might like the flowers—the colors—the feel of outside."

Thranduil's eyes fixed on his son's upturned face, a tiny tear glimmering in the corner of his eye. He brushed his fingers across Legolas's cheek. "I do like the flowers, little leaf, and I thank you for bringing them. Nothing any of you did hurt me. The vase brought back a memory is all. Ailunai used to keep this vase full of fresh flowers for me every day. After she died, I left it here until the flowers were dead and I could no longer bear to look at it. Not only have you used this vase, you have picked the same flowers Ailunai often used."

"Elladan and Elrohir helped," Legolas said.

Thranduil smiled at the twins. "Forgive me for frightening you, Legolas. I was surprised but in a good way."

"Will you . . . mind if I keep the vase filled with fresh flowers every day?" Legolas asked. He explained in a rush, "I do not want you to think I am disrespecting what Ailunai used to do."

Thranduil unwound a tangle in Legolas's hair. "I would love it if you keep the flowers fresh for me, ion. But then you must let me keep a vase full for you as well."

"Okay," Legolas agreed. "But I do not know where I want it yet."

"Let me know when you make up your mind," Thranduil said drily. "Now make yourself useful elsewhere. Paperwork does not do itself."

"The lament of the day," Legolas remarked as he skipped from the room.

Elladan and Elrohir trailed after him, exchanging glances that betrayed they shared the same thoughts.

"It is an awful shame we are still stuck in Mirkwood," Elladan said at last. "I want to give ada flowers in his office now."

"I do not think we will be here much longer," Elrohir said with enthusiasm.

* * *

"Legolas is late to dinner," Elrond said, noticing the empty seat at the table.

"He went down to the caves the last time we saw him," Elrohir volunteered. "But he ought to have been back by now; he never misses dinner."

"Please, begin the meal without me," Thranduil said. "I will find my son."

He checked his and Legolas's bedchambers before pausing to wonder where his son had gone. On an impulse, he opened the door to his office and found Legolas curled in his desk chair, sniffling with his head on his knees.

"Are you hurt?" Thranduil asked quickly.

Legolas glanced up and shook his head. "Not really. But, ada, when I went into the caves today, everyone bowed and I did not like it."

Thranduil's hand went to his mouth to cut off a chuckle. "I see. It is their choice to bow to you."

Legolas's lower lip trembled. "I do like feeling like I am better then someone."

Thranduil sat on the arm of the chair and smoothed Legolas's golden locks. "I think everyone is still a little touchy from the Ozorne incident. When someone bows to you, Legolas, it does not mean they think you are better then them. Bowing is a sign of respect and nothing more."

"But what do I do, ada? I feel so uncomfortable."

"Bow back," Thranduil said. "I always do."

"But is that right? I mean, is it the proper thing to do?"

"I am sure many people would not think so," Thranduil answered drily. "You must do what you feel is right. As I said, bowing is a sign of respect and I bow back because I believe in showing respect."

Legolas considered, drying his eyes with the end of his sleeve. "I felt—when they bowed—I felt as if I was alone—without you—and they were bowing to me because I was king."

Thranduil squeezed Legolas's hand. "My little leaf, have I not shown you I will do anything to keep us together?"

"You have," Legolas said slowly.

"You do not have to dread being king. When you are older and, if you wish to try bearing the crown for a little while, I will teach you how. But there is no rush. After my thrust into the throne, I know how it feels to be alone without any knowledge of the responsibilities ahead. That will not happen to you."

Thranduil hugged Legolas's head to his chest as the elfling uncurled. "Remember in your visions of your future and the throne, if you are king, it does not mean I am gone. I have no intention of leaving this world anytime soon."

A grin broke through his son's tears, bringing rainbows to the room. "Do you promise?"

"With all my heart."

"Then I guess we can eat dinner now."

"As his lordship pleases," Thranduil teased, and laughed as Legolas jostled him in the hall.

* * *

 **A little laughter is just what we need! I am quite happy the twins are missing home!**

 **Thank you for reading; your words of encouragement and enjoyment never fail to inspire me!**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas and Elrond do some soul-searching together.**


	131. I Smile

Legolas dipped the bronze bowl into the pool and withdrew it dripping with water. Elrond watched as he placed quartz crystals in the stone basin before him, moonbeams falling around his feet.

Legolas smothered a quiet yawn, tipping the water into the basin. The full moon shimmered in the surface as the water mirrored the peek of the sky above the treetops as seen from the mouth of the cave. It was inaccessible from the ground, being set halfway up a small but sheer cliff jutting out at an odd angle from under the palace yet hidden by trees.

"You are tired," Elrond said, closing _Forest Rituals_ and moving to clear his workspace on the trestle table at the back of the cave.

"A little," Legolas admitted. "But we are almost finished. The water will be ready by the fall equinox. I hope the second ritual does more then the first."

He yawned again. Elrond made him sit down in one of four wicker chairs in the room. The elfling wrapped his arms around his knees and watched Elrond tidy the table. The elf lord's hands seemed accustomed to handling delicate instruments.

"Was it hard?" Elrond asked, without looking up. "Coming from a place where you had no voice and finding love?"

"It was not hard," Legolas said. "I wanted to be loved. I wanted to learn how to love back. I wanted to trust and believe I could eat and sleep without begging or paying for it in blood. But I did not know; no one ever taught me before ada."

"You learned," Elrond said.

"Yes," Legolas answered. "It was almost impossible not to with ada showing me how to be gentle every day and Harune there to explain things I did not understand. You learned."

Elrond chuckled. "Quite. But, you see, I have to get my questions in before I leave."

"I know," Legolas said. "I do not mind answering your questions. Although, the first time we walked in the woods I was not as open to sharing my thoughts because I did not feel like you cared about my words."

Elrond focused on his hands. "I admit I was a bit . . . uninterested in what a child had to say but I am listening now."

"One perk of being sincere and a person one can trust is you do not have to constantly assure people you care," Legolas replied, watching the flush leave Elrond's ear tips.

"Did you ever . . . doubt your father?" Elrond asked.

"Not so much now," Legolas said. "But I used to. I expected to have to pay for food and warmth and blankets by being beaten and forced to work until I was sick. I was convinced ada was lying when he gave me food and said I had to give him nothing. I kept waiting for him to turn around and hit me but he never did."

Elrond's eyes were sympathetic as he tried to envision how much the elfling had suffered in his human home and in his elven home as he adapted to a proper home.

"Would you have said something if Thranduil had spanked you?" Elrond held his breath after the last word, almost afraid to finish the query.

"I certainly would have plenty to say if he did _now_!" Legolas said with indignation. "But I do not think I would have had the courage to say anything _then_ ; questioning an adult's ways was thrashed out of me. It would not have been as bad as being beaten and I would rather have been spanked then whipped. I would not have _liked_ it."

"No one likes to be hit," Elrond said softly.

Legolas nodded. "I learned to feel safe with ada. Sometimes I doubted the things he said; the ways he tried to show me were normal. But when he held me and I felt his heart beating under my head, the doubt could not help but fade. I would not have felt that safety if ada spanked me. Did you feel safe with your parents?"

Elrond narrowed his eyes as he realized Legolas had taken the lead. "Of course."

"It is only fair you be as honest with me as I am with you," Legolas objected. "If you need to think about it or cannot remember, say so."

Elrond tipped his head back, rather like a snake. "Legolas Greenleaf, you shock me at times."

"It is better then being dull," Legolas replied, his blue eyes glittering.

"Hmm," said Elrond. "You know my brother and I were left orphaned. We were grateful to be taken in by Maedhros and Maglor instead of killed. Perhaps the safety we felt was not safety but a false sense of security compared to the horror of a battlefield."

Legolas braided a strand of his hair. "It makes sense. Did you like one parent better then the other?"

"One ought not pick favorites," Elrond said loftily. "You would not enjoy choosing between Thranduil and Ailunai."

Legolas pounced on him with a toss of his head. "An opinion is nothing to be ashamed of; I am more connected to ada since I am with him every day. Besides, feelings change. Allow me to rephrase; which parent did you feel more connected to? I know from your attitude you do have a preference."

"Had," Elrond corrected.

"You are stalling," Legolas stated. "Come on, tell me. Saes?"

"I preferred Maglor," Elrond said, folding his arms.

"Why?"

Elrond raised his eyebrows. "I might have known one answer was not good enough for you."

"I am sure there is a reason you preferred him," Legolas countered.

"Indeed," Elrond said. "Maglor was more gentle and understanding then his brother. He was willing to have fun. I guess . . . I also preferred to take my punishments from him to."

Elrond finished his work and turned to the elfling. "Come, take your mother's book. It is late."

Legolas roused himself. "We needed the moon rays."

The elfling tripped ahead, up the narrow passage leading from the cave into the palace. At the door to Thranduil's room, they parted. Elrond went to slip into bed with his wife and Legolas, after a moment's thought, changed into his nightclothes before creeping into the warmth of his father's shadow.

* * *

 **A belated Happy 4th of July!**

 **I enjoyed writing the conversation between Elrond and Legolas. Liked it? Liked it not?**

 **I absolutely love hearing from you; your comments never fail to be insightful and inspiring!**


	132. I Grieve

It was tiring seeing the tangled trees as he and Legolas walked to the Heart of the Forest. Thranduil felt Legolas's small hand tighten in his and, feeling as if Legolas needed reassurance, said, "The trees will not go to waste; so many houses have been destroyed, the fallen timber will serve admirably to rebuild."

Legolas's clear eyes met his. For a moment his eyebrow quirked in the way Thranduil's did in response to infamous suggestions at meetings. Then he smiled. "I know."

The trees on the ground were like bodies prostrated with grief; their leaves turning brown and crumbling to dust. The rest of the forest hinted at orange and yellow as it donned autumn garb and prepared to burst into a blaze of color. Moss grew harder and lost its vibrant green. Summer flowers drooped into hiding. The vines around the Heart of the Forest lost their green and appeared as drab ropes.

"Rebirth," Thranduil murmured as he faced the great tree.

Harune headed the ceremony again, with _Forest Rituals_ open in his hands. Elrond and his family were gathered; Onyx stood with Jade and her household. Landion greeted Legolas and lingered near Thranduil.

"No more horror stories to tell about past events in this glade?" Thranduil inquired of Onyx.

The elf rubbed his chin. "Come to think of it—" He chuckled at Thranduil's face and tipped his head. "Not today, little brother."

Harune opened _Forest Rituals_ as Elrond put four golden bowls into the hands of Arwen, Helena, Mervyn, and Onyx. "This ritual requires diversity. I do not believe Ailunai, or past Feyrin, ever had as much diversity as we see here today but we have diversity of blood as well as diversity of character. Onyx, behave yourself."

Jade's slender hand covered the grin on her face as Onyx muttered and thrust his shoulders back. "I am not a child, ada."

"You often behave like one."

"Shall we get on with things?" Mervyn demanded.

" _Such_ diversity," Thranduil said with a groan.

Harune leveled him with a gaze. "Kindly refrain from mocking sacred gatherings. Those of you who are not holding bowls will please form a circle and join hands."

Harune stood at the northern side of the circle as the bowl bearers stood at each directional points. He held the book flat before him and read.

"O, Heart of the Forest, older then the most ancient elf, we, your children, bring to you the pure water of springs. May the liquid blessed by the valar rejuvenate your roots and give you a taste of youth. In age there is not a lack of happiness.

"From the north, Arwen brings you water from the coldest streams still flavored by the ice melt from the mountains.

"From the east, Helena brings you water infused with the sunrise and scent of spring past.

"From the south, Mervyn brings you water infused with the high rise of the moon and sparkling with the essence of crystals.

"From the west, Onyx brings you water brimming with the last rays of day and mixed with the coolness of dusk."

As the bowls were emptied and water splashed across the roots, Legolas felt sure he saw the tree move. The water soaked into the moss around the tree's base and, as Onyx set a pointed crystal into each of the four alcoves shaped into the tree's trunk, a root shifted, tearing moss.

Harune read in rapid elvish, his words illuminating the air until it hummed with energy. The moss around the tree let go of its tuft, each piece of green turning into a spark of gold floating upward. The Heart of the Forest's brilliant fall garb glowed as its branches were speckled with the lights.

The elves gathered let out a collective sigh as the crystals caught the light and transmitted them into rainbows.

"In age there is only beauty," Harune concluded, and shut the book.

"It is pretty," Arwen said, looking up at the tree.

The circle broke. Legolas noticed the candle wax from the first ritual had faded into the tree.

"It is hard to tell whether less trees are falling," Thranduil said, after a moment listening. "I choose to believe less are."

* * *

"The unexpected rush of so many injured elves has left our apothecaries rather low," Healer Jailil said. "Normally, we would have gathered herbs to replace the expenditure but, given the danger of the forest and the undergrowth, altered by the fall of so many trees, I am afraid we have no gathered as many plants as we would like."

Thranduil winced. "I know the strain must be a great one for the Healing Ward but there is nothing we can do. Provided you feel safe venturing into the forest for herbs, do so but do not endanger lives without good reason."

Healer Jailil raised his eyebrows and left his chair before Thranduil's desk. "Gracious, my lord, what kind of Healer do you take me for?"

He set a file down before the king. "I have prepared a fuller report here. Good day, my lord."

 _Hardly_ , Thranduil thought gloomily, staring at the file. _I am sure reading this will be quite depressing_.

The door opened and Nimrethil breezed in, her hands behind her back. "Forgive me, my lord, I am sure my worries are yet another burden to your shoulders but I cannot deny the urgency with which I come to you."

"Do tell," said Thranduil, and folded his hands before him.

"Due to the sudden strain of feeding the increased occupants of the palace, the store rooms have taken quite a blow," Nimrethil said apologetically. "It is a shame but the state of the forest destroyed a large number of our gardens and fields, and hunting game is risky, given the falling trees."

"Will there be enough in the storerooms to last the winter?" Thranduil asked.

The woman hesitated. "I . . . am reluctant to say. I cannot promise but I will do my best."

"Abandon fancy cooking."

"Oh, indeed, my lord, plain fare it will be from now on. I have prepared a full report for you to view at your convenience."

She swept from the room, her shoulders relaxing before she shut the door. Thranduil stared at the growing stack of files on his desk, bound in blue folders, and sighed.

"Tell me you, at least, have good news," Thranduil said, as Hyrondal entered the office.

"Can there be good news?" Hyrondal demanded. "With careful attention to danger, my men and I have been clearing as many trees as possible by turning them into firewood for the winter."

Thranduil shifted. "A wise precaution."

As Hyrondal opened his mouth, Thranduil cut him off. "It is indeed a good day. You may leave your report and be excused."

With a sudden grin, the captain of the guard left his file and hurried from the room. Thranduil rested his head on his hands before he tackled the first report. His heart lay heavy in the pit of his stomach.

* * *

 **Poor Thranduil! The depression is starting to sink in! Like the ritual?**

 **Thank you so much for reading; I love your thoughtful comments and insights.**

 **Also, a bit of exciting news! I am going to cook at camp for a week starting this Sunday and running until the 21st. As I will be busy, the next update may not come until the 23rd . . . I shall try to post if time warrants. If not, I hope you will patiently understand.**

 **Next Chapter: Mirkwood is either doomed or razed.**


	133. I Am Spring

The days whirled into weeks. The forest lost its beauty and died into a brilliant shower of embers. Leaves drifted to the ground and faded into the undergrowth, bathing fallen branches with a cloak of melancholy.

As the bitter winds whirled leaves into the air, the first fires of fall were lit in the hearths. Wool replaced light cottons. Mirkwood bowed under a veil of gloom.

Curled in his father's lap one evening, with the bedchamber curtains closed and the fire turning the room orange, Legolas asked, "Could you help hating Oropher?"

Thranduil roused himself, shifting to rearrange the pillows behind him. "Who ever said I hated him? It is true he hurt me and made most of my childhood a wreck. But he had a heart to. And I saw he was a person as I was when his wife died. Oropher mourned Byrd as he had mourned no other. It was then I released my resemtment and offered my support instead."

"How old were you?"

"A bit older then you are now," Thranduil replied. "We stood together and Oropher made Mirkwood blossom again in Byrd's memory. It is never good to hate anyone for you do not know what pain they cling to that makes them ugly."

Legolas snuggled closer as a crack resounded outside. He heard rain ping against the window. "I will remember, ada."

The door creaked open and Elrohir peeked in. "May we join you? Ada and nana do not wish to be disturbed and the thunderstorm is loud."

Thranduil reached for two pillows and patted the bed. "Shut the door and climb up."

Elladan was the first to bounce onto the bed, upsetting Legolas as the elfling muttered, "We are being peaceful tonight."

The twins secured a blanket and plumped their pillows before gazing up at Thranduil as a flicker of blue lightning lanced through a crack in the curtains.

"It is nothing to be afraid of," Thranduil said in amusement.

"It feels better to be with someone," Elrohir explained.

Elladan stretched, turning onto his stomach. "We will need a bigger bed at home. Ada and nana's bed it so small, there will not be room for us all."

Thranduil chuckled. "It is a problem easily solved but one I think you are glad to face. It means you have family."

The twins yawned. Thranduil knew from Legolas's breathing the elfling was asleep. He let his eyes drift shut.

The days faded into bitter cold after the third ritual performed on Winter Solstice at the Heart of the Forest. Mangled undergrowth disappeared under a heavy blanket of snow. The roar of the river was dulled as its surface froze over into grey ice. As the fall of trees slowed, elflings turned out with their parents to dot open spaces with snow elves and forts. The ice on the river soon became marred with marks left in the wake of ice skates.

Standing on the balcony, wrapped in a woolen cloak, Thranduil smiled as shrieks of laughter danced at his ear tips. His gloved hands held the railing as he looked down at the elflings sliding on the ice.

Legolas caught his eyes and smiled.

Thranduil smiled, returning Landion's wave, yet he did not feel the happiness. Snow lay thick over his breast, choking out the warmth and hiding it under a heavy veil. It was difficult to stand at the helm of a sinking ship; perhaps not a sinking ship but a ship floundering on the waves nonetheless. It was difficult to be the guiding light in the darkness when the lantern seemed to be dying for him to. He knew his people looked up to him yet he could think of nothing better to show them then reality.

Dark, gloomy reality.

The hope of his speech in the caves seemed far away.

* * *

Thranduil awoke with the knowledge if anything would happen today, it would happen today.

He dressed with care against the cool spring air, discarding heavier winter garb for lighter cloth. He opened the curtains and gazed at the purple sunrise, seeing the Heart of the Forest looming in his mind.

Spring was late in coming. The snow faded day by day but a faint dusting of it still showed, hiding tiny green shoots pushing out of the thawing earth.

Someone knocked on the door and Harune entered with a breakfast tray. He joined Thranduil at the table.

"I thought you might like to eat alone today," Harune said, as Thranduil picked at his food.

"That was very kind of you, ada," Thranduil replied quietly. "As it is, I do not know if I can compose myself."

Harune quirked an eyebrow and Thranduil smiled in sudden shame. "I withdraw my statement."

"You must eat."

"I do not know the point in it. How can I go on living if the last ritual does nothing? How can I live if, dawn by dawn, more and more of Mirkwood crumbles until nothing is left? Perhaps I can live but it will kill me if there is nothing left for Legolas—for the elflings."

Harune reached for his hand. "You cannot give in to despair when you have no reason. If the last ritual leaves the forest whole, you will have lost yourself for nothing."

He knew his father was right. Thranduil let the smell of hot tea replace the grey atmosphere of his vision. Harune smiled. "Come, eat and then we must go. The early morning is the breath of both spring and the ritual."

Thranduil had finished his food when Legolas peeked into the room. "We are ready for you, ada."

Harune collected the tray. Legolas held _Forest Rituals_ in hand. Thranduil knew from looking at his son Legolas was as nervous as he. Holding his hand, father and son descended to the gates.

"Today," Thranduil said. "The future will be decided."

"And let us hope it is a good one," Elrond said, as the party trod the faint path to the Heart of the Forest.

The glade was quiet, as always, the trees around it still holding their own. The Heart of the Forest was the first tree to bud; little splashes of green decorated the branches and the moss covering its thick roots was a vibrant green. The four alcoves formed in the tree trunk were clean; washed pure by rain.

Harune took the book from Legolas. The elves formed a circle around the tree. With the exception of Jade, Celebrian, Helena, and Arwen, everyone held a beeswax candle, the warm scent it gave off as it burned mingling with the wind.

Harune said, "O, Heart of the Forest, purer then the clearest spring at winter's melt, we bow in deference to your beauty, our gentle whispers awakening you from sleep. O, great tree, the forest prepares to come alive at your first breath of spring.

"The candles are lit, their cold flickers mirrored in the water pooling at your roots. As is your power, awaken the forest from sleep."

The woman placed crystals bowls in each of the alcoves. The bowls held bulbs, their roots waving in the water but no green shoots to be seen.

The candlelight was warm on Thranduil's face, unwavering as he held his breath and waited. The tree made no movement. He winced as hot wax ran onto his hand and cursed himself for startling but his companions were no better, frightened and puzzled by the ghastly cracks rendering the air.

Harune almost dropped _Forest Rituals_ as someone shrieked, as if their life was being dragged out of them breath by breath. Landion whispered, "What is it?" and tried to cover his ears.

Thranduil shuddered, his sensitive ears curling at the high-pitched cracks. A curious gurgling sound came over the noise, speaking of foam and bubbles.

"My word," Harune said at last, "It is the ice over the river breaking."

"It has never made such a horrible noise," Landion said.

"It usually melts day by day," Harune explained. "I cannot think why it is breaking up now."

"Look!" Arwen shrieked, pointing to the tree.

All eyes turned to the tree and a collective breath was drawn in, causing candles to flicker. The bulbs in the crystal bowls were letting out green shoots. The sprouts uncurled as they pushed themselves up.

The last tree fell. Without needing the look or listen, something in the way it sounded as it hit the ground let the elves know it was the last tree.

The silence was almost unbearable yet beautiful at the same time. A few tears joined the damp ground.

Legolas cast himself into Thranduil's arms, crying, "It worked! It worked!"

Thranduil saw his tears glimmering where they dropped on Legolas's hair as he whispered, "Yes."

No one spoke after that; only grateful hugs were exchanged as the Heart of the Forest opened its buds. By the time the elves returned to the palace, the last dusting of snow had soaked into the ground.

Spring had come.

* * *

 **I am back from cooking at Witch Camp. A whole week well spent soaking in happiness and good food, and working magic as a kitchen witch.**

 **Was this chapter worth the wait? I deeply appreciate your patience in waiting as this update IS late in coming to grace your inboxes.**

 **Ashnazg: So happy to have you back and know you continue to enjoy!**

 **Thank you all ever so much from reading! I love hearing from you.**

 **Next Chapter: Spring is enjoyed.**


	134. I Am Home

"I know seeing our homes so decimated is a difficult sight for you all," Thranduil said, addressing the elves crowded into the open field cleared of tree trunks by the forest scouts. "But instead of dwelling on what we lost, we must look to the future. We still have each other and, as a kingdom, we will rebuild. Mirkwood itself has given us the space and timber we need. That is a blessing."

"It is so good to be in fresh air, nothing seems like a loss to me now, my lord," an elf said.

Thranduil smiled. "While this may not be our usual happiness at spring, there is no need to wallow in gloom. The sun is shining and nightmares are behind us. We will endure. No one can say effort is something we shy from. And, as you all know, if anyone needs help in any form, you will come to me."

"We have not done otherwise," the crowd assured him.

As Thranduil bowed and stepped down, he met Elrond at his elbow. "You had best pack your things and leave before you are delayed further."

The elf lord smiled, seeing the twinkle in Thranduil's eyes. "We have packed. We have spoken to the twins and decided to leave tomorrow."

"Home is unparalleled," Thranduil agreed. "Do not worry about me; the trees will grow back with our hearts. Nothing here is lost."

"I have only to look around me to find proof of your statement," Elrond agreed.

Legolas erupted from the elves around them to exclaim, "Come, ada, the first boar is roasted through. I am so hungry, I could eat it all!"

Thranduil examined him critically. "Have you thanked the hunters for bringing the meat here?"

Legolas tugged at his sleeve. "I promise I have, and Onyx said it was a pleasure to do, only Talion may have hit better then him. But it is ages since breakfast, ada."

Thranduil chuckled. The wreckage of fallen trees was slowly being brought into order and cut into logs. It was easy to smile when his heart was light. "Come, little leaf, let us go eat. You fetch the plates."

Legolas danced away. Elrond watched until a hand on his shoulder made him aware of his wife. Celebrian put her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around him. "It is lovely to have free children."

And Elrond had to agree.

* * *

Elladan was hugging Thranduil goodbye when Galion hurried into the room and grabbed the king's arm. "My lord, I beg forgiveness, but Hyrondal is concerned and asks you come immediately to the Heart of the Forest. There is a gathering and many elves are expressing their gratitude to the tree, but Hyrondal fears it may be magic."

Thranduil nodded and kissed Elladan's head. "I will come. We all have a few last words to impart to the tree."

Galion said, "I will handle the arrangement of Lord Elrond's luggage. You will be prepared to leave, my lord, as soon as you return."

Half of Mirkwood, it seemed were clustered around the Heart of the Forest when Thranduil and his companions arrived, forming a ring defined by the forest guards holding the elves back.

Hyrondal stepped to the king's side. "Nothing goes to show the magic is harmful, my lord, and it may be a simple normality of the tree but I thought it best to keep a distance."

"Quite right," Thranduil said, and turned his eyes to the oval mist forming before the tree. It floated a few feet above the moss, thick and voluptuous.

It took on the vague shape of a cross before developing the curves of rounded flesh. A wisp of curling hair fell onto a shoulder and two hands stretched into slender fingers. The mist faded into arms and legs and the woman dropped to her feet with a sigh.

Thranduil's heart choked his throat and he felt it stop beating. His hands clapped to his mouth and his eyes opened wide. "Ailunai."

His were the only words. No one else knew what to say.

For the Queen of Mirkwood had nothing on.

Thranduil felt as if he stood on nothing solid until he took a step and the reality of the hard ground shocked him. Realizing the situation, and with great presence of mind, he wrapped his mantle around his wife.

Ailunai grasped his arm, saving him from falling. "You have no idea how good it feels to touch you . . . and know I have longer then a day to be with you."

The meaning of her words meant nothing to Thranduil's dazed senses but Legolas quavered, "What do you mean?"

Ailunai knelt to take his hand. "You do not need to be afraid, little leaf. I am not upset at your mistakes. Even black magic has a silver lining. Mirkwood is passing through a phase of rebirth it has needed for a long time. You set that in action. Through necessity, you also brought the Heart of the Forest back to life. I am not needed to guide the forest as much anymore now that the tree can do what I used to do in its place.

"I am free, Legolas. From the first day of summer to the last day of autumn, for six whole months, I will be with you. And not in spirit form."

Looking back, Thranduil forgot what he did. He thought it involved a long and sudden kiss and the jubilant cheers of the elves gathered.

Elrond and his family left Mirkwood with the memory of Thranduil's eyes and Legolas's face. As the twins had said, "You have us a family we thought we would never have. We are full of joy you have a full family again as well."

* * *

 ***Big Eyes* I thought of the Greek Myth of Hades and Persephone writing this chapter. Is Ailunai's agreement with the forest fair?**

 **Love hearing from you! Loved giving Thranduil and Legolas some wife and mother happiness!**

 **Thank you ever so much for reading! Only eight chapters left until the story is over . . . savor it! I know I am.**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas experiences some difficulties with his mother.**


	135. I Am Sandwiched

Legolas peeked over the top of his book, drawing his legs closer to him in his chair. Jade and Mervyn had gone home in a shower of gifts and laughter and the palace seemed empty without the twins to fill the room. His lips twitched at the sight of Ailunai leaning on Thranduil's shoulder, laughing into his eyes. Her feet were up on the armrest of the sofa, her hand under his chin.

The elfling felt as if he gazed at a picture; a picture of the two people who had created him yet a picture where he had no place. A picture where he did not belong.

Legolas ducked his head as tears welled in his eyes. Ailunai had taken his place. He had never been a part of her life, after all.

Careful not to make noise, Legolas left his book and made for the door. He froze as Thranduil asked, "Going to bed so early?"

Legolas knew his voice would crack as he discreetly dried his face. "Yes."

He heard Thranduil shift. "What is wrong, little leaf?"

"Nothing," Legolas said. Then he sobbed, "Everything."

He buried his face in Thranduil's lap and cried. "I feel—I feel like you have ignored me since nana came back. It is not the same anymore and I-I miss you."

He felt Ailunai's hand rub his back and sniffled. Thranduil said, "You are right in saying I have made a mistake in forgetting you and I am sorry. In my excitement at being with Ailunai again, it did not occur to me I was ignoring you."

"Your life will not go back to as you remember it," Ailunai said gently. "But that does not mean it will not be as full of happiness and adventure. You have two people who love you now and we will always be there for each other."

"Union created you, Legolas," Thranduil said. "You are a blend of me and Ailunai. Knowing that, we could never neglect you."

Legolas raised his head from Thranduil's lap as Ailunai said, "It is true once it was only Thranduil and I on this sofa. But it is time to begin a new life and you are part of that life."

She took her feet off the armrest and sat up, making space between her and Thranduil. She patted the cushion. "Come sit."

Thranduil flicked the tears off his cheek as Legolas snuggled between his parents, finding a new kind of warmth.

* * *

Legolas stretched and yawned as he traveled the hall toward his parents' bedchamber. It was strange to think it used to harbor only his father yet he liked the doubled warmth of Thranduil and his mother.

It comforted him knowing he was still welcome in their bed.

The elfling pushed open the bedroom door, almost jerked from his drowsiness by the flickering light of candles. He rubbed his eyes as he stepped into the chamber and stopped as heard a noise.

Soft, passionate kissing.

Legolas glanced at the bed. The sheets had slipped down and gave him a clear view of his father's naked back. His hand snatched the doorknob as he stumbled back. Ailunai and Thranduil both sat up as he slammed it and fled.

Minutes later, after throwing on dressing gowns, Thranduil and Ailunai were stopped by Harune as he admonished, "I told you to lock the door."

"Not the time, ada," Thranduil said, and hurried past him.

He found Legolas hunched by heart, staring at the empty grate with his legs drawn up to his chest. The elfling shied away from him as he sat down, trapped between him and Ailunai.

"Do not touch me!" Legolas cried.

Ailunai and Thranduil recoiled. Legolas buried his face in his knees. Thranduil said gently, "I do not think you understand what you saw."

"Go away," Legolas mumbled.

"You can tell us if you think it is disgusting," Ailunai said.

Legolas's shoulders shook. "No—no—I do not know what I think anymore. Lord Katar had a wife. I-I could hear her screaming sometimes—see them on the bed. After she died, he—he hurt me to."

Ailunai reached out a hand. When he offered no resistance, she drew him into an embrace. Legolas rested his head on her breast and cried, curling small into the cocoon his parents' bodies created around him.

"Do you think Thranduil would hurt me?"

Legolas faltered, "I-I do not think so—he does not hurt me. But . . . I-I do not want him to hurt you!"

"I would never do anything to your mother that I would not do to you," Thranduil said. "You know that."

"I am so blessed to have a son who cares so much about me," Ailunai said, smiling. "I understand you do not know much about unions but it is okay; we are here to explain it to you."

"Does it—does it hurt?"

"No. Union is a beautiful thing and I am sorry you were exposed to people who turned it into something ugly and abusive. Our union made you. Do you think something that that brings about new life is ugly?"

Legolas shook his head. Ailunai said, "In Mirkwood, we honor union."

"Are you ready for bed now?" Thranduil asked. His hands were soft on his back as Legolas snuggled closer.

The elfling nodded. He hesitated as Thranduil picked him up but his father understood. "The next time Ailunai and I want the bedchamber to ourselves, we will hang something off the doorknob so you know not to come in. But we will never lock the door and, in an emergency, you know you can come to us."

Legolas rested his head on Thranduil's shoulder. "Yes." He yawned, his eyes glassy with reflections. He fell asleep with the knowledge he was loved.

* * *

 **Some sweetness at last!**

 **Thank you all ever so much for reading! I love that you stay with me and enjoy each chapter through irregular updates when life takes over.**

 **Next Chapter: The twins have some negative feelings about being home.**


	136. I Hesitate

A stable hand led the horses away. Elrond mounted the steps toward his house, the white marble familiar under his feet. His breath shuddered as he gazed down at the valley, thinking of his absence . . . of his people.

Celebrian was smiling at his side, holding Arwen's hand as she bounced on her toes. Elrond gave his sons a quick glance, seeing moisture in their eyes as they trailed behind him.

He refrained from speaking as he reached the front door to his house.

Glorfindel stood waiting, his face stretched into a grin. "Welcome home, my lord."

"It is good to be home," Elrond said, and squeezed his friend in an embrace. He rested his chin on Glorfindel's shoulder, breaking away as Erestor emerged from the doorway.

Celebrian clasped the elf's hand. "I cannot thank you enough, Erestor, for taking care of Rivendell while we were away. It means the world to me."

"It was a pleasure, my lady," Erestor answered. He winked. "But we will have to discuss my future schedule."

Glorfindel coughed. "And what about me? I suppose I have done nothing?"

Celebrian batted him on the arm. "Oh, come now, Glorfindel, her ladyship extends rivers of gratitude your way." She kissed him on the cheek.

"The perks of being unmarried," Glorfindel sighed. He grinned at Erestor. "Your wife might take it the wrong way if her ladyship kissed you."

"And speaking of your wife, I offer my heartiest congratulations," Elrond said, taking Erestor's arm. "I hear you have a son now."

"Where is your family?" Elladan asked.

Erestor placed a hand on his head. "My word, you have grown! But your eyes I have never seen so bright and happy. I am honored to welcome you home."

Elladan grinned. "I think it will feel like home from now on."

A woman emerged from the door with a child on her shoulders, exclaiming breathlessly, "Gracious, I apologize for being late but there is only so fast one can rush when the bread is running over and Nightwing has his hands in the cookie dough."

She set the boy down with a gasp and ran her hands over her brown hair, smoothing it somewhat into the start of her braid before she said, "My lord and lady, welcome home."

"My wife, Ariel, and our son, Nightwing," Erestor introduced.

Elrond stared at the boy. "Your son?"

Nightwing's black eyes blinked into his, wide and soft. His black hair shone in the sun; black as the peak of midnight. Even the bones of his face spoke of neither parent.

"Yes," Erestor said solidly.

Elrond shook himself. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Well," said Ariel, "My work in the kitchens is done; you will have a nice dinner served up at dusk. I must be off home now and I expect to take my husband with me. He shall, of course, be back tomorrow to help you catch up with the goings-on." She took Erestor's arm, rounded up Nightwing, and left Elrond staring after her.

"She is quite nice, really," Celebrian said reasonably.

The hall was cool when the twins stepped into it, their breath catching as they realized this was home. The place they had run away from; a place full of dark memories. Elrond's hands on their shoulders offered some comfort as he guided them forward, not pushing exactly yet the twins' feet could not help but face the sudden turmoil each room evoked.

When they approached the family room, Elladan found he could not do it. He could not enter the room; could not stand to think about looking to the bookcase and seeing the strap. He held back as Elrond urged him forward, shaking his head. He bit his lip as he briefly thought he must have been spanked once at least on every piece of furniture in the room.

"I cannot go in, I cannot go in."

Elrond knelt down to look him in the eyes. "It is alright, Elladan, I will not force you to go in. I know we are all tired so why not take your brother up to your room and I will have dinner sent up to you?"

Elladan grasped Elrohir's hand and nodded. Walking the hall to his room brought back a wave of memories. It occurred to him Mirkwood was a dream on the distant horizon and maybe he was about to wake up into an unwanted reality.

The room was spotless when Elrohir pushed open the door. The blue bedcover still covered the bed and the rugs were in place. Books and pencils were stored neatly on their shelves and the curtains were tied back over the window seat.

"I cannot believe we used to live here," Elladan said softly.

Elrohir smiled at him. "The day we ran away was the best day of my life."

Elladan nodded. Elrond and Celebrian came up after dinner to tuck them in side by side. After a kiss goodnight, Elrond shut the curtains and the door after him.

The twins lay in the dark, the covers up to their chins, eyes fixed on the ceiling until sleep claimed them.

The moon was high when Elladan awoke. He lay on his side, Elrohir's breathing the only recognizable sound in the room and stared at the door. He thought of the family room and swallowed, his lips troubled as he met his fear and hated it. He felt displaced; jolted from a place he had come to love to a home he had never connected with.

He did not want to feel displaced. He wanted home to nurture good memories. It was not home, after all, that created bad memories. It was ada. And ada was different now.

Careful not to wake his brother, Elladan slid out of bed. He padded across the room and tiptoed down the hall toward the family room. It sat in dull light when he pushed open the door and stood on the threshold.

Elladan's eyes traveled first to the bookcase and alighted on the shadow of the strap. Of all the items in the room, it was the only one covered in a thick layer of dust.

Yet it meant something different now. The sight of it no longer froze his blood. It was an immobile piece of leather that could not hurt him for ada was no longer willing to wield it.

The room danced with memories; memories of him and Elladan as babies crawling the floor, the carpet smooth under their hands. Memories of him and Elladan drawing in front of the hearth or playing games with ada. Memories of nana knitting and sewing.

He picked a wrap off the back of Celebrian's chair and shook it open as he settled himself on the sofa. Even after her absence, it still smelled of his mother. As he shut his eyes, Elladan smiled knowing the gloom in the room would fade in deference to happier memories.

When Elrond entered the room come morning, he paused in the doorway and smiled. Elladan lay on the sofa with one arm dangling down and Elrohir was curled in his armchair, a blanket slipping off his chest.

The elf lord made no sound but to tuck the blanket around Elrohir and slid Elladan's arm onto the sofa before he shut the door and walked away.

* * *

 **Sometimes it can be hard to come home and face all the little haunts one tried to forget. Will they truly fade away?**

 **Thank you all for reading; your thoughts and comments are splashes of sunshine to me!**

 **Next Chapter: The royal family of Rivendell takes another step toward a spank-free future.**


	137. I Burn

When Elladan opened his eyes, Elrond was standing over him with the strap in hand. He shrieked and bolted upright, awakening Elrohir from his doze as the elfling started and fell to the floor. Somewhere in the room Arwen burst into frightened tears and Celebrian's feet came running.

As Elrohir untangled himself and rubbed the blur from his eyes, Elrond dropped the leather and pressed a hand to Elladan's cheek. "I am sorry I startled you; I would never have hit you with it. It is okay, Elladan, you are safe."

"I know—I am sorry I screamed. I just—I did not know what else to do."

Arwen's wails quieted as Celebrian reached her and scooped her up. Elrohir stumbled to the sofa and sat down as Elrond held his son to his chest, rubbing his back until Elladan's breathing settled.

"Now that you are calm, I want you to know what I was doing with the strap," Elrond said. "I came to see if you were awake because there is something we need to do as a family with the strap."

Elladan blinked. "Alright. Um, let us change and we will join you."

Minutes later, the twins joined their family at the back of the house. The shadows of the trees on the hills said it was almost noon. A fire flickered in the stone pit, the flames rapidly rising.

Elrond held out the strap, biting his lip as the twins flinched. "We feel as if you should be the ones to destroy this as it has hurt you the most. We hope that, by burning it, it will be symbolic of the new life and ways we are beginning to practice at home and give you a door to throw away any last fears you have so we can move forward with a fresh horizon."

"What is it?" Arwen asked. "Is it for training horses?"

Elladan did not like to say it had been used for hitting elflings and Celebrian's eyes reflected his hesitancy. Finally she said, "Yes, it is meant to be a symbol of guidance but it is often used the wrong way."

Arwen nodded sagely, swinging her stuffed squirrel by the tail. "Yes. Master Aven told me you never hit the horses."

Elrond cleared his throat, feeling his ears heat up, and offered up his hands. "Well?"

Elrohir's hands closed over the leather. As he hesitated, Celebrian offered, "We can do it with you."

Elrohir shook his head. "No. You are right in saying this is something Elladan and I have to do together."

The twins dropped the strap into the fire. The leather curled and broke apart into stripes as the stitching gave way. The flames ate at, as if sensing the need for its destruction. The elves watched until the embers gave a last cough and reduced the leather to ashes.

Elladan gave a slow nod, satisfied with the gesture. Celebrian said, "We thought a better ornament could be chosen for the top of the bookcase. Would you like to help us pick something out after we have settled in?"

"As long as it is not ugly, twisted metal with doubts as to its use, yes," Elrohir answered. "But what I want to know is, when is lunch?"

"It is on the table."

The twins gave a last look at the fire as it smoldered before following their parents inside. Ariel was setting a basket of sliced bread on the white tablecloth; she smiled as they entered.

Celebrian set Arwen in her chair as she sat. Ariel said, "Erestor will be ready for you in the office after lunch. We hope his proposal will be satisfactory."

It felt strange to be sitting at the table; felt strange to see Ariel leaving with an empty tray instead of Galion or Harune. Yet it felt whole. Watching the faces of his family, Elrohir smiled as he slathered jam onto his bread and bit into a salted cucumber.

"Ada," he said. "Is it alright if I am seen and heard?"

Elrond raised his eyebrows. "I do not think you need ask me that. I know I used to expect you to be seen and not heard but your mother and I want you to be yourselves from now on. We want you to be free to talk, even when we have guests. The only thing we ask is you be respectful."

"It will be easier to be respectful now that we have a good example to learn from. Pass the cheese, please?"

Elrond handed his son the plate with a shake of his head though his lips were parted in uncontained amusement.

When the table was empty, Elrond waved to his sons from the window as Elladan and Elrohir danced into their forgotten hills. Celebrian said, "I have a few people I would like to see after all this time. I will take Arwen with me; you should see Erestor."

Elrond nodded. He kissed his wife and parted in the hall, hurrying toward his office. He thought of Thranduil as he pushed open the door. He thought more of Thranduil as he almost tripped over Nightwing. "My word!"

Erestor looked up from the desk with apologies on his lips. "Forgive me, my lord. He came up from the kitchens. I assure you he is peaceful."

"I am helping ada," Nightwing said, holding up a ball of crumpled paper for Elrond's inspection before he dropped it into the wastepaper basket.

"Quite," Elrond said. He recovered himself. "Are you and your wife in the habit of bringing Nightwing to work?"

"He is not old enough for school and neither of us fancy leaving our son in the hands of strangers. We do not want to see Nightwing grow up without us. However, now that you are home and more able to contribute your time, I would like to work half-days instead of full time."

"Is that so?"

"Yes. I hope it will work out for you; I am happy to work afternoons and mornings; whichever you prefer."

Elrond gazed at the elf as he gave Nightwing another scrap paper. He realized, as fathers, both of them needed time to spend with their children."

"I think your proposal will work. However, I suggest we alternate the mornings and afternoons so we both have time for different activities with our families."

Erestor smiled. "You are definitely more . . . considerate. Thank you, my lord—eh, Nightwing, big people only—that arrangement works fine for me. I have written up a short document to catch you up to speed on Rivendell's matters. And, since there are no objections, I have worked my morning and will be back tomorrow afternoon. Good day!"

He thrust a paper into Elrond's hand, scooped up Nightwing, and dashed from the room.

"Well!" said Elrond.

* * *

 **Yep, that is settling back into home life for you! Erestor was only too glad to be out of the office.**

 **AshNazg: So lovely to hear from you again! It warms my heart you enjoyed the last chapter so much! Thank you.**

 **Next Chapter: Retribution is at hand for Elladan and Elrohir, very badly home late into the night.**


	138. I Wonder

Elrond heard the low voices of his sons and made a dash for the door to fling it open and say what he thought. But Celebrian grabbed his wrist.

"No, Elrond, we have to be calm. I know we were worried and you would like nothing better then to scold until your tongue falls out but this is the first time the twins have disobeyed us since we returned home and they probably doubt us right now."'

Elrond drew in a breath and sat down. "You are right. We have to let them come to us."

"And, when they do," Celebrian said. "We will set them an example of how we will handle all discipline in the future."

Elrond ran a hand through his hair as he heard his sons' outside the door. He knew why they hesitated.

"He is going to be so mad," Elrohir whispered. "We are hours late and we did not even find it."

"We have to face him," Elladan said. "We have to."

"I do not want him to hit me."

"He will not. He cannot. Not after everything we have been through."

Elrond's heart blossomed and Celebrian squeezed his hand. He heard footsteps and Ariel spoke.

"Whatever are you doing sitting in the hall this late?"

"Ada is going to punish us," Elladan said.

There was a short silence. Erestor said, "He came home a changed elf, Elladan. He is more respectful—more considerate. Elrond has learned so much and I am sure he will be reasonable and fair. I do not think he will hit you."

"And, if it helps," Glorfindel said. "We will be outside the door if you need us."

Feet scuffled as the twins stood and made for the door. It cracked open before precipitating Elladan and Elrohir into the room.

Elrond and his wife rose. Elladan clenched Elrohir's hand in his until both their knuckles were white, almost falling as he stumbled to the sofa.

"We have been worried sick about you," Celebrian said. "Where have you been?"

Elrohir swallowed. "We walked out to the cliffs to look for something. When it grew too dark to see, we started home. I know we are late—"

"You are more then late," Elrond said. "You could have hurt yourself or something could have hurt you. Your mother and I were afraid you were injured or lost—or that you had run away."

The twins avoided his eyes as his voice broke and chewed on their lips. Elrond and Celebrian sat down beside them. "What were you looking for?"

Elladan's eyes darted to his twin before he shrugged. "We did not find it."

Elrohir choked past the lump in his throat, "I am really sorry, ada. I never meant to make you and nana so worried and—and scared. I know you are disappointed and I promise it will not happen again."

Elrond hugged him. "I trust you, Elladan, and I am sorry this has put that trust into doubt. So, for the next week, your curfew will be shortened to two o' clock instead of five."

Celebrian rested her hand on Elrohir's back as he nodded. "Okay."

No one spoke and Elrohir fidgeted. The elfling said, "We would not have run away, ada. Not again. Never again."

"We were a little scared to come in," Elladan admitted. "But we—we trusted you and nana would be kind—that you would try to understand."

Elrond smiled. "You were right. This is how we will handle all problems we run into down the road. We want you to know we are here for you, even when you misbehave, and nothing we do to guide you will hurt."

Elrohir wrapped his arms around Elrond's shoulders and hugged him. "I am so glad to hear you say that. I love you."

Elrond kissed the top of his head. "I love you to, ion. Now come eat some dinner and then we will tuck you into bed."

Elrohir held onto him tighter before he relinquished his hold. He lingered behind to grab Elladan's hands and dance in a circle, his smile almost splitting his face. Elrond looked into his wife's eyes before he kissed her, their hearts rising as one at the wholeness of their family.

"If only we had known we could resolve these things so peacefully," Celebrian whispered. "We would not have regrets."

The sheets were cool when Elladan snuggled into bed beside his twin. Elrohir turned onto his side to look at him, the blue cover falling off his shoulder. As he stared into Elladan's eyes, he broke out laughing.

Elladan chuckled. "It feels good, I know."

"I do not know how many times I have gone to bed before with a smarting behind," Elrohir said. "Or ada's angry reprimands ringing in my ears. I am not saying I will misbehave because I can without being spanked for it but . . . well . . . I used to feel bitter when I thought about spanking and our parents but now . . . the memories are not bad because I know it is in the past and I have a bright future to look forward to."

Elladan cocked his head and pressed his chin into his hand. "We did not find it."

"No," said Elrohir. He yawned. "We will look again tomorrow. Goodnight."

Outside the door, Elrond tiptoed away, ignoring Glorfindel's soft jibes about eavesdropping.

"I have a right to know how my sons feel," he hissed.

Glorfindel raised his eyebrows. "In my opinion, asking would have been much better. You could have had a proper discussion."

Elrond threw up his hands and jostled the elf. "I missed you, mellon nin, and I did _not_ miss you."

"I shall take that as a compliment," Glorfindel said.

* * *

"I simply cannot understand it," Elrond said, shifting to take Elrohir's elbow out of his ribs.

"It is a bit hard to breath," Celebrian said. "I am afraid Arwen will be squished and I am in serious danger of falling out of bed."

"Me to," Elladan said. "And I am behind you."

"I do not think I can sleep like this," Elrohir observed.

"I simply cannot understand it," Elrond repeated.

A knock sounded on the door and, in his haste to speak, Elrond knocked Elrohir to the floor. The elfling picked himself up with a grumble as Glorfindel peeked into the room with a hand over his eyes. "Is everyone decent?"

"I have no idea," Elrohir retorted. "All I know there is no room in here to breathe and my chin hurts."

Glorfindel chuckled as Elrond sat up, his hand missing Celebrian's nose by inches. "I simply cannot understand it."

"I do," Glorfindel said. "Your bed is too small for the five of you."

"Why," said Elrond. "How good of you to say so. Elrohir, are you alright?"

Elrohir rubbed his chin. "I think so."

Glorfindel held up a hand as Elrond started to speak, "If you say 'I simply cannot understand it' one more time, I will kill you."

Elrond frowned. Celebrian piped in, with her eyes twinkling, "Why, Glorfindel, I simply cannot understand it."

Glorfindel threw up his hands. "I do understand it! You shock me, my lady. The truth of the matter is, the beds in Mirkwood are build larger as a rule, since so many families share."

Elrond put a hand on Elrohir's head. "That makes unfortunate sense."

"I was so looking forward to sleeping with you," Elrohir complained.

Elrond patted his hair. "I know, ion, but there is nothing I can do unless we want to sleep on top of each other. I think you will find your bed much more comfortable. To avoid this issue in the future, I will make some arrangements tomorrow to commander bigger beds for all of us. Elladan, out of the bed, there is no space for you tonight."

Elladan held up his hands. "I am leaving. But I shall be back."

He skipped from the room with Elrohir behind him. Elrond raised his eyebrows, "You wanted something, Glorfindel?"

The elf pursed his lips. "Quite. It seems to have slipped my mind. I think it had something to do with Erestor but I cannot be sure."

"You wanted a laugh," Elrond snapped.

"Why, darling," Celebrian exclaimed. "All Glorfindel wanted was to join us."

Elrond frowned. Glorfindel chuckled. "Your offer is most generous, my lady, but Elrond is too old-fashioned to approve of flirting. I think I will say goodnight to your darling sons."

As he shut the door, Elrond growled, "Are you trying to make me jealous?"

"No, dear," Celebrian sighed. "It is good to be home."

* * *

 **They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. :)**

 **Thank you for reading! Your comments and musings mean so much to me as I bring this tale to a near end and contemplate the stories for the future. Thank you for your amazing support and undying encouragement.**

 **Next Chapter: Elladan experiences some Deju Vu, but without one crucial feeling.**


	139. I Understand

Ariel dusted off her hands as Elladan and Elrohir spilled into the kitchens. The maids stopped sweeping, cooks hovered over hot pans, and apprentices critically surveyed their creations.

Elrohir hesitated, unsure of the sudden change of atmosphere, before he announced, "My brother and I will be visiting and using the kitchens frequently from now on; we learned to cook while we were away. When we do use the kitchens, we request you all carry on normally and not treat us like fragile glass. Thank you; as you were."

Steam rose from the pans simmering over the stoves at the far corner of the room and stacks of crisp loaves covered the floury tables near the clay ovens. Ariel wound through the tables down the length of the room and inquired, "What is all this?"

"We were hoping," Elrohir explained, "You would not mind us cooking here. We wanted to make something special for ada and nana, in gratitude of their support and a better home."

"In Mirkwood, we often used the kitchens," Elladan added. "We . . . kind of wanted to be the same here."

"Well," said Ariel, "You will find no objection from me and I am sure the rest of the staff will grow used to having you around. What would you like to make?"

The twins consulted each other. "Just to be clear, we do not intend to cook a whole meal . . . yet. We were thinking something sweet and delicate that ada and nana might enjoy over a glass of wine."

Ariel grinned, and her dark eyes twinkled. "I can think of a dozen things fitting that description."

"Can we make those little rolls of crispy shortbread filled with sweet custard or fruit jam?"

"We certainly can. Come, I will show you where the bowls are and you can start. If you need help, I will be frying down by the stoves."

"Is Erestor home with Nightwing?" Elladan asked.

"Ah, no, he is here with me."

"Oh?" Elrohir glanced around. "But I thought ada said—"

"Lord Elrond had plenty to say about Nightwing coming to work with Erestor and I but if he desires to command delicate sweet meats, he shall have to pay properly for them."

Elrohir giggled at her face. After a moment he asked, "Are you the sort who will smack me if I take a cookie?"

"Do you think I would smack my son?"

Elrohir fidgeted. "I do not know. Some mothers do."

Ariel put a hand on his head. "I do not smack, Elrohir. Not you and certainly not my son. However, since you mean 'take' in the vein of steal, I would not appreciate that. If you want a cookie, there is a secret jar I will entrust you with where I put the broken cookies, and you are free to help yourself to those."

She indicated a tall ceramic jar on one of the counters marked 'Tea'. While Elladan rushed to retrieve a handful, Elrohir said, "I think I will enjoy being here with you as much as I enjoyed Mirkwood's kitchens."

Ariel smiled. "A fine compliment. Now, if you expect to deliver a tray of sweets to your parents by wine hour, we better start cooking."

It was after dinner when Elladan and Elrohir tiptoed toward the family room. Elrond looked up from his armchair as they entered. "I thought I tucked you into bed."

"Yes," Elrohir said. "But we wanted to bring you and nana something in celebration of being home and all you have done for us. We made it."

He put the tray down with care on the coffee table and clasped his hands behind his back in anticipation of a reaction.

Celebrian swung her legs over the edge of the sofa and sat up, discarding her book. "That is very sweet of you. It looks divine."

"Ariel would not let me bring up the wine," Elladan apologized.

"Mmm," said Celebrian. She picked up a flute-shaped piece of golden bread and bit into it. "You must taste these, Elrond; divine."

"And you are quite sure you made them?" Elrond asked, as he surveyed the dainty arrangement on the tray.

Elladan looked offended. "We spent all afternoon making them. I know Ariel could have made them but they would have meant the same thing if she had. We wanted to say thank you for . . . being here for us. It means a lot to have a home we feel safe and loved in _with_ you."

Elrond hugged the top of his head to his chest. "Hannon le, ions. It means so much to us knowing we have two beautiful sons who love us. We will enjoy these treats knowing you baked them with us in your hearts."

Celebrian put down the flute in her hands with a flash of guilt in her eyes to swoop Elrohir into an embrace. After she kissed his cheek, Elrohir took his twin's hand and sidled toward the door. He skipped into the hall as Ariel approached from the opposite direction with the wine in hand.

When he burrowed into bed, he mused, "It felt good. I never understand why Legolas enjoyed bringing Thranduil flowers and treats but now I do."

* * *

"Elladan, dinner. Put the pencils away, please."

Elrohir took the pencil out of his mouth and closed his drawing pad as he sat up, collecting his supplies. Elladan lingered on his stomach, contemplating the sketch before him. He jumped as Elrond said, "Elladan, you heard me."

The elfling glanced back at his page before hesitating to meet his father's gaze from the doorway. "Ada, I know dinner is important but I can have dinner every day. I cannot find this vibe so easily; it is hard to find the right mood and, once I leave it, I know I will never get it back. I want to finish this sketch and having dinner will ascertain I can never finish it."

"Elladan, I do not appreciate this kind of drama."

"It is not drama, ada. It is truth!" Elladan protested. "Please may I have five minutes to finish?"

"You expect us to wait for you?"

"Not at all! I expect you to start."

Elrond looked at him. "This drawing means a lot to you."

Elladan looked down at the faces on the paper and his eyes softened. "Yes."

Elrond tipped his head back. "Well, you may have five minutes. When you are finished, join us. But do not complain if your brother has eaten the garlic bread."

Elladan grinned. "Hannon le, ada."

"Can I watch him?" Elrohir asked.

Elrond took his arm. "No, you may not. Come to dinner."

Elladan put his pencil back to the paper as Elrond guided his twin away. He looked up at the hearth, remembering a paper he had burnt there once, long ago, and the spanking he had endured.

After a moment he smiled and the smile bore no bitterness.

* * *

 **Does anyone remember where this ending scene happened before? *Raises eyebrows*.**

 **Thank you (yes, you), for reading! I love you for it and love your kind sharing of thoughts even more!**

 **Three chapters left, people! Savor this!**

 **Next Chapter: Legolas attends a party.**


	140. I Am Crowned

Legolas stared at himself in the mirror. He wriggled his shoulders and adjusted his collar. He blinked into his eyes again and tugged at his cuffs. He wrapped a strand of hair around his fingers and wandered if his braids would be all right.

Legolas redid a button on his gold and black tunic.

He jumped as Harune peeked into the room. "A little nervous for the royal celebration?"

"Yes," Legolas admitted.

Harune came to smooth his hair. He put his hands on Legolas's shoulders and smiled at him in the mirror. "You will be fine; Landion has already broken half his buttons."

"But . . . do ada and nana really want me there?"

Harune raised his eyebrows. "Why, Legolas, do you need to ask? It is not a stiff event; it is loose and friendly; there will be other elflings there. You know as well as I Mirkwood does not endorse nose-in-the-air events where children are ignored or handed off to nannies."

Legolas straightened his collar again. "I will meet you and Landion at the party."

He shut the door behind him and joined his parents in the hall outside the ballroom. The doors were shut but he could hear music sneaking out of the cracks.

Thranduil and Ailunai turned as he hurried up and Legolas halted, awed by the glow they bathed each other in.

Ailunai wore a royal blue dress, the top curved low to reveal her rosy skin. She wore a pendant of sapphire on a silver chain, matching earrings gracing her ears. Her hair was swept back into a high knot before the loose ends cascaded down her back. A silver circlet adorned her brow. Thranduil was a silver cane beside her, dressed in a silver robe with two braids holding his hair back and a ring of silver in his hair.

He held up a velvet case. "In the mood for a little jewelry?"

He displayed a tiara twinkling with little diamonds. "You can say no."

Legolas tipped his head. "I say yes."

Thranduil set the circlet on his head; it was cool as it touched his skin. Not too tight or too loose, it settled as if made for him.

Ailunai touched his cheek. "Who would think our son's head would be the same size as yours when you were a child?"

Thranduil offered his arm to his wife with a smile. A fanfare sounded as the door opened and Thranduil swept into the ballroom.

The band played in front of the open windows but the rustle of skirts and light feet sliding on the floor whispered over the soft music. Cheeks were flushed and eyes bright as couples moved as one, hands joined and eyes locked. Elflings lingered by the fluttering white tablecloths and clustered on the benches against the walls, fingers sticky.

The dance floor halted as Thranduil and his Queen entered and every elf bowed on inclined their head. Legolas examined the flash of jewels and colorful flowers the dancers wore with interest, unused to the touch of many a soft fabric and the adornments the elves wore.

He saw Landion and waved; his uncle was dressed in royal red, his black hair combed over his shoulders and vibrant against the cloth. Legolas grinned as he saw the silver circlet. Landion wore.

Harune made a move toward him, putting down his cup of wine, but Onyx dove out of nowhere, a visage of green with a goblet in hand, and cried, "Announcing his majesty, King Thranduil Oropherion, and his enchanting wife, Queen Ailunai Greenleaf."

Thranduil looked at him. "My dear brother, have you had a bit too much to drink already?"

Onyx grinned. "Insulting the family already, my lord? You look altogether delightful, my queen. As for you, Legolas, my love, you will soon get used to the crown."

"Do I look too strange to it?" Legolas asked anxiously, reaching for his head.

Onyx chuckled. "No, you look fine. And now a dance for the King and Queen! I shall speak to the band."

Legolas sidled to Landion's side as the music started and Thranduil snaked his fingers through Ailunai's. Landion offered him a dripping éclair as Harune swooped a plate under it.

"It is quite nice," Landion said. "I have never been to a party like this before, though."

Legolas surveyed the room as he bit into his éclair. "No, but I like it. In Lord Katar's realm, the men and women wore as many jewels as they could because the jewels made clear their status. But here that does not matter and so the jewels mean something; they bring something to their wearers made of real value."

Landion regarded him with his head on one side. "Will you dance with me?"

Legolas put down his plate. "I will, if you do not complain when I step on your toes."

He had danced with Landion, avoiding his uncle's toes as the music controlled his movements, before Onyx darted in and swept him away, moving closer and closer to where Thranduil and Ailunai swayed together.

"Are you moving away again?" Legolas asked.

"I did some deep, deep soul searching," Onyx answered. "I discovered I rather miss being a dance master but at the same time I am loath to give up my relationship with the Mirkwood Guard. So I reached a compromise. The house I grew up in is still standing and empty. Ada and I have agreed I may have it and convert the front of it into a dancing studio. Hyrondal has agreed to send all new recruits to me for a serious course in the relationship between fighting and dancing. And so I can fulfill both my passions."

"Or has Talion robbed your old position under Hyrondal?" Legolas teased.

"I am quite aware I cannot expect to jump right back into the spot I left decades ago," Onyx said loftily.

He caught Legolas looking in the direction of Thranduil and offered, "I shall secure your father for you. It would be a pity of you did not dance with him tonight."

As Harune neared with Landion, he said, "Onyx, my dear son, you only want to dance with Ailunai."

Onyx grinned as he traded places with Thranduil and whirled Ailunai away. Legolas blinked as Thranduil took his hand. "Enjoying yourself?"

"It is fun," Legolas said. "Do you think Onyx does only want to dance with nana?"

Thranduil smiled. "Everyone wants to dance with her. But, do not worry, I am certain Onyx will return Ailunai to us so you may have your turn."

He paused to pick up a goblet of wine and sat with Legolas on a side bench, eating sticky balls of pecans, until Ailunai broke out of the dancers, her face flushed and her eyes stars under her lashes. She held out her arms. "There is my son! And as sticky as a bee hive, if I am not mistaken."

Legolas looked down and brushed off his tunic. Guiltily, he handed the rest of his pecans to Thranduil and took his mother's hand.

The music began to make him drowsy after several circles around the floor. As he blinked hard to keep his eyes open, he glimpsed Thranduil through the crowd with another woman and could not help but ask, "Do you mind when ada dances with other women?"

Ailunai glanced in the direction of her husband before she chuckled. "That is Nimrethil; me, her, Thranduil, Hyrondal, and Jailil all grew up together."

"But if it was not Nimrethil, would you mind?"

Ailunai shook her head. "No, because I believe a man or woman only feels jealous over their mate being with another person if they are insecure in their union. And I know Thranduil and I are very much secure."

Legolas nodded, liking her answer. Ailunai steered him toward the wall and sat him on a bench with a group of other elflings; sugar had worn off and left them tired. "Wait here; I will take you up to bed in a minute."

Legolas yawned. As she stepped away, he caught sight of Healer Jailil and woke himself up staring at his wife. She was inches shorter then her husband, dressed in peach, and laughing at something he had said. She disappeared behind another couple moments before Thranduil and Ailunai blocked his vision to take him up to bed.

Tucked in and warm, Legolas heard his parents troop back down to the party. He drifted to sleep, his mind decorated with cloth blowing in the wind, much like the dancers on the ballroom floor, and jewels replacing the stars in the sky.

He awoke with a vague need to dive into bed with his parents but, when he touched their doorknob, he heard the faint tinkling of the bell telling him Thranduil and Ailunai wanted to be alone. Stretching, he felt for the next closest doorknob and burrowed into bed beside Landion.

He was awakened by Onyx poking him and hissing, "Move over!"

"Find your own bed," Legolas mumbled.

"I am too tired; it was a late night and I was practically the last to leave. Now, stop being difficult, and make room for your beloved uncle."

Legolas cracked an eye open. "Beloved uncle?"

Onyx grinned and stuffed a pillow under his head. "You ought to be ashamed of yourself, talking about family like dirt. When I have you as one of my students, I shall remember this moment."

Legolas rolled onto his stomach and wrangled some of the blankets away from Onyx. "I shall take great pains to avoid your dance school by specializing in something else. Goodnight."

He felt Onyx smooth his hair and his lips curved up. In that instant, Onyx became family instead of a bug.

* * *

 **Onyx has moved into the hearts of his family, and Legolas has finally found his.**

 **Thank you all for reading! I know this tale is drawing so near to an end but your amazing comments continue to warm my heart.**

 **Next Chapter: Elladan and Elrohir break a window.**


	141. I Have Learned

Elladan winced as he heard the window shatter. He whirled around and saw Julian sneering, lowering his arm after the throw.

"You are really in for it now," he said.

Elladan scowled. "I do not know what you mean. And I saw you throw the rock; what were you thinking?"

Elrohir came to his side, rubbing his arm where Kava had hurled a decent-sized pebble at him. Julian folded his arms. "You think you are better than us with your high and mighty royal blood. Well, your heads will be dragged out of the clouds; it does not matter who you are, your father is sure to give you the spanking of your life for breaking his window."

"We did not break his window," Elrohir said. "You did."

Julian snorted and Kava laughed. "You think your father will believe you?"

Elladan exchanged glances with his twin before he answered, "Yes."

"You are bigger fools then I imagined," Julian said. He took Kava's arm and steered her down the hill.

Elladan stared after them, yearning the fling the rock at his toe at Julian's arrogant head. He turned to Elrohir and exclaimed, "Pig!"

"I could say worse," Elrohir said drily.

The twins' contemplation of the glass scattered around them was interrupted as they heard a door open through the window. Elrond spoke to Glorfindel before his feet scuffled and the door clicked. Elladan winced as he heard Elrond stop short and exclaim, "Gracious valar! Those boys will be the death of me! When I find them . . ."

Elrond's head emerged from the window to inspect the damage. His eyes targeted the tops of his sons' dark hair in seconds. "What is this?"

Elladan whirled around and spread his hands. "It was not us, ada, I promise."

Elrond leaned out the window. "I do not see anyone else here."

Elrohir looked down at the rock in his hand, suddenly aware he had grabbed it to throw after Julian, and hid it behind his back, realizing what it looked like under the circumstances.

"Elrohir," Elrond said.

The elfling sighed and chucked the rock aside. "Julian and Kava were teasing us. Julian is the one who broke the window; he wanted to see us in trouble."

"Until I have validated this, you will clean this up and go to your room."

"Julian and Kava will say we are lying," Elrohir said sullenly.

"Well, I cannot take your word alone for what happened, can I?"

"Thranduil would," Elrohir mumbled, before he fled to fetch a pail and gloves.

"Besides," Elrond shouted, "I do not see why Julian and Kava would want you to be in trouble."

Elladan looked up at him and shrugged. "They were angry, believing we are above them somehow. They wanted you to spank us to bring us down—down to their level."

Elrond's eyebrows rose. After a moment, he left the window. Elladan sat down with his back against the wall and waited for Elrohir to return but Elrond reached him first.

"I guess it is not easy being back here, where birth does not define status," Elrond said, sliding an arm around Elladan's shoulders. "You know I will not spank you."

"Yes," Elladan said. "But it does not amount to much if you will not even believe us."

Elrohir careened around the corner and dropped the pail at the sight of his father. Elrond gestured for him to join him. He sat silent, considering, before he said, "I choose to believe you did not break the window. I will help you clean it up and put in a new piece of glass. I ask you keep rocks away from the house, and I will speak to Julian and Kava's parents."

"Must you?"

Elrond looked down in vague surprise. "I cannot have my sons bullied."

"No," Elrohir said faintly. "But I am sure Julian and Kava will be spanked . . . "

Elrond's fingers squeezed his shoulder. "There are times, Elrohir, where you must think of yourself first. When I must think of you first."

Elrohir studied his hands. "I know." He let his head fall against Elrond's shoulder and, for a moment, no one spoke.

"About what I said about Thranduil," Elrohir began.

"You do not have to apologize."

"I will not apologize for saying it. But I am sorry I hurt you by saying it."

"Apology accepted," Elrond said, hugging Elrohir's head to him. "I will work on collecting all the facts before I accuse anyone of a crime."

Elladan nudged a piece of glass. "Does this mean we do not have to go to our room?"

Elrond squinted at him. "Elladan Elrondion, you shock me."

The elfling grinned as Elrond roused himself. "Come, this glass is dangerous, and Arwen may find us at any minute."

Elladan stood, scooping up the pail as he met Elrohir's jubilant eyes behind Elrond's back. Elrond did not miss the glance in a broken shard of glass and smiled. He knew what it meant.

* * *

Elladan knocked on Erestor's door. He heard running feet and a moment later, it opened. He looked up out of habit and then looked down as Nightwing grinned at him. The boy grinned and invited, "Come in."

Elladan put Arwen down with a sigh of relief and entered the foyer. His sister rushed ahead as Ariel stuck her head down the hall and said, "Ah, boys, welcome. Dinner will be ready in an hour or so; we had a spot of bother with the cut of meat the butcher sent up—Erestor, love, what are you doing? I said trim the fat off the roast and leave the steaks alone!"

A faint voice protested, and Ariel said, "Yes, well, you may have spoiled them already. No-no leave the knife and get out of the kitchen before you cause a disaster; you are halfway there already. Entertain the guests; you can do that, I dare say, without bringing down the house!"

"Ada is in trouble," Nightwing whispered, his black eyes meeting Elladan's. The elfling muffled a chuckle as Erestor appeared with a miffed expression. His smile brightened as he saw the twins and Nightwing latched onto his leg.

"Come in, come in. Dinner will be slightly later than usual, but I am sure we can find proper entertainment to pass the time."

The twins emerged into the open living room. Nightwing's toys were neatly stacked in baskets alongside the wall adjacent to a tall bookcase. Several stuffed animals and blocks were scattered on the wood floor and a puzzle was half-finished at a round table.

Nightwing dove into a dark cave erected of cushions and a cloth stretched over two chairs and the sofa. Erestor raised his eyebrows to the twins. "Preference as to amusement?"

"Not particularly," Elladan answered. "What is Nightwing doing?"

"You may have interrupted his evening game of burglars," Erestor said, with a twinkle.

"Can we join you?" Elrohir asked Nightwing.

The toddler gazed at him. "Only if you be the wolves."

Elrohir let out a howl. Nightwing shrieked and dove into the cave, dragging Arwen with him. Elladan shared a look with his twin before he giggled.

An hour later, rumpled and breathless, Elladan lay on his back beside Elrohir. He turned his head toward Erestor. "Do you do this every night?"

Erestor sat up and took Nightwing off his chest. "Yes. Come, little night, and help us clean up. Dinner will be done soon."

Elladan sniffed the air appreciatively as he began picking up cushions. He remembered fussing at clearing up his toys at Nightwing's age but boy voiced no complaints and piled his blocks into a basket.

As the last cushion was set in place, Ariel came out of the kitchen carrying a covered tray and announced, "Dinner."

Elladan slid into his seat. Ariel set a book on Nightwing's chair and gave her son a hand into it. As he piled meat onto his plate, he said, "I would not mind doing this again."

"I am sure you will be back," Ariel said. "This is not the only time your parents will want some alone time." She helped Nightwing cut his meat. Across the table, Erestor was doing the same for Arwen.

"He does not look like you," Elladan said, studying Nightwing.

Ariel nibbled a piece of lettuce. "No, but he is our son and we love him. It is not resemblance that makes a family; it is connection."

Elladan wanted to ask if Nightwing was adopted but remembered Elrond's guidance on when questions were appropriate and stopped. Ariel's eyes teased him. "He was not adopted."

Elrohir muffled a laugh with his napkin as Elladan flushed. Arwen squealed as her glass spilled milk across the table and Ariel flung a napkin into the mess to keep it from dripping to the floor. "My land, chaos is exploding already!"

* * *

 **Elrond has learned! So much!**

 **Thank all you loves for reading! It means so much to get a peek into your thoughts.**

 **AshNazg: Lovely to hear from you! Thank you. :)**

 **Next Chapter: Is The LAST Chapter . . .**


	142. I Am Reborn

Elladan knocked on Elrond's door. He entered to find Elrond dipping his pen into fresh ink and Celebrian sitting on a corner of the desk.

"This had better be important," Elrond began.

"It is," Elrohir insisted, peeking over his brother's shoulder. "Where is Arwen?"

"Ever since Erestor bailed on me, she has been spending time with him, Ariel, and Nightwing," Elrond replied, with a slight glare in his eyes that caused Celebrian to giggle.

"Well, I do not think Erestor bailed on you," Elrohir said. "He was here yesterday morning and very helpful when I came in to see if I had left—"

"You wanted something?" Elrond requested.

Elrohir pursed his lips. "I am not so sure I do—oh, yes, I do want something. Elladan and I want something."

"What is it? Cake? Cookies? Permission to see a friend?"

"Oh no," Elladan teased. "We would have done that without asking. We were out on the cliffs—"

"After you finished your homework, I presume?" Celebrian asked.

Elrohir tipped his head. "I may have left Elladan to do my work for me."

"Why, Elrohir Elrondion, you—"

Elrohir giggled. "We both finished our own work. Now, as I was saying, we have spent a good amount of time on the cliffs looking for something we lost. We have not found it over the last few weeks but today we found it."

Elrond shook his head. "And this is important how?"

Elladan took his hands out from behind his back. "Do you recognize this?"

Elrond half-rose, reaching for the object, "Why—why, this is the letter-opener Glorfindel gave me on our wedding!"

The twins nodded. "Yes. You—you spanked us after we lost it playing warrior."

Elrohir admitted, "I dropped it; Elladan lied for me because you had already spanked me earlier and he did not want you to hurt me more. But, ada, you never let me tell you why I dropped it. I tripped and I had to let the letter-opener go to save myself from falling."

Celebrian covered her hand with her mouth, her eyes glistening with tears. As Elrohir stared at him, Elrond rounded the desk and snatched him in a hug. "Gracious valar, I could have lost you! And to think I hit you for saving yourself when you are more precious to me than any letter-opener."

For a moment he rested his head on Elrohir's shoulder. When he looked up, he reached for Elladan. "I am sorry I did not give you the chance to explain yourselves. So sorry."

"You would have spanked us anyway, for stealing," Elladan said bluntly.

His words hurt. Celebrian broke in, hugging Elrohir's head to her chest. "That is behind us; we do not know what would have happened as we are different people now."

Elladan held out the letter-opener. "Are you happy to see it? We cleaned off as much dirt as we could."

Elrond smiled as he took it. "Yes, I am. Thank you for finding it. I trust you did not endanger yourselves looking for it."

"We combed the cliff for days," Elrohir exclaimed. "And today we found it simply lying there when I know I looked in the same spot more than a dozen times."

Elrond squeezed the object in his hands, reminded of the day he and Celebrian had become one before he put it on the desk.

"It wanted to be found," Elladan said. "I think . . . the day we dropped it was the day we snapped; when we realized we could not live with you any longer. The day we both knew we had to do something as drastic as running away."

"And we are sorry we forced you to that day, when no child should ever have to make such a decision," Celebrian said. She smiled. "However, in the long run, it turned out to be a good thing."

"Not that we expect it to happen again," Elrond added.

Elladan stared at him. "We found the letter-opener today. It wanted to be found. Because it knew and we knew you would never hit us. We all know those days are behind us."

Celebrian slid off the desk to join in the group hug. As Elrond wriggled his arms around both his sons, he whispered, "Never."

"It is good not be bitter anymore," Elrohir said. "It is sweet to know Arwen will never know some of the things we did."

Celebrian stroked his hair. "I am glad you find sweetness there. So do your father and I. But we still have regrets."

The twins pulled back. "I understand you regret our early childhoods, and you have a right to feel that regret but do not let it spoil you. You can let it go; we forgave you."

Celebrian tilted her head. "I know. And the regret is already fading with the knowledge we have such beautiful sons."

Elladan smiled. "We have let go of our bitterness. And also our doubt. It makes us warm inside knowing you are more like friends then soldiers."

"The regrets of the past are behind us," Elrond said. "We came home reborn. We are each a new person and we have only the future to look forward to now. A future where there is no dust in dark corners or shadows hidden behind doors. We give you our word those shadows will never exist again. We do not need your promises to be model sons; as long as you are respectful, you are free to grow into whoever you may be inside."

Elladan's smile turned crooked. "It is good of you to give us permission. But you must let us give you permission to grow us well, because I think you still have a fair bit of growing you have yet to do."

"It is true our childhoods may have been a little checked," Celebrian admitted.

"We will grow together," Elrond said, his arm around Elrohir's waist. "Now is where we truly begin living."

* * *

Legolas rolled onto his stomach and blinked blearily as the blanket brushed his cheek. In the darkness, a sudden nightmare rose. He thought of his mother and instinctively pulled a pillow over his head, hiding beneath that which barely offered any protection.

The darkness smothered him. He longed to scream for his father, to nestle into his embrace until his shivering stopped and the nightmare went away. But he could not open his mouth for Ailunai would come to.

Ailunai. Darkness. Nightmare.

Legolas squeezed his eyes shut. He had not asked her if she would spank him.

He thought of Elladan and Elrohir; desperate and hollow, starved for love. Skeletons alone in the cold.

"Oh, ada," he whispered.

Under the blankets, he grew warm. So hot he flung the covers back and gulped in cool air. A branch knocked against his window and an owl hooted in the woods.

Legolas patted his pillow smooth and lay on his side, staring at the sliver of moon he glimpsed through the trees. The drowning feeling was gone. The urge to scream floated away on the wind. The nightmare gave way to the end of a rainbow.

He did not have to ask Ailunai anything; he knew.

* * *

 **Dearest people, this is it. Finally. The end. I admit I held onto it for a few extra days; something about finally posting the end is both saddening and joyous at the same time. There are so many of you who have joined me on this journey. My wish is that you learned at least one thing over the course of these many chapters. My wish is that you know how sincerely grateful I am for your support and the community you created around Nin Chronicles: My Word.**

 **If you fancy, read on for a final announcement and all the story news your heart desires!**


	143. Author's Notes

If you are reading this, you have come from the last word of the last sentence of the last paragraph of the last chapter of My Word.

If you are reading this, you have enjoyed My Word from beginning to end.

Perhaps you have been here since the publication of the first chapter. Of perhaps you have only just joined the journey and found your interest perked enough that you arrived here, at the end.

You—all of you—have my gratitude. Your comments and insights, PM"S, follows, favorites, reads, and shares are what made My Word into what it is. You asked questions and challenged me to answer. Your observations gave me a new perspective on many of the issues this story covers.

You have come to love my versions of Tolkien's characters as well as my army of OC's as much as I do.

To those of you who left their gracious comments, follows, and favorites, thank you! You encouraged me through days when I did not know what to write and made me smile when it was rainy. You are what Thranduil is to Legolas.

And to all you beautiful, silent readers, thank you! You may not have shared it publically by way of comment, but I hope you learned as much as I did from the writing of this tale. You are what Legolas is to Thranduil.

What is to happen next, you ask?

I have come to love the world and characters and challenges of Nin Chronicles so much, leaving it behind is almost inconceivable. Therefore, the story will continue in the fourth Nin Chronicles book. It will be a collection of short stories and flash fiction, revisiting characters such as Onyx and Vandril, Ricel, Ariel, and Nightwing and, of course, the royal families of Rivendell and Mirkwood. We may see Galadriel and Celeborn again and meet the beginnings of Estel. Where ever the story takes me, I will follow.

Unlike a true story with a beginning, middle, and end, this book will be endless. Every chapter will hold a moment out of someone's life, but it Legolas or the twins' or someone new entirely.

Sound like something you want to read? Come on over and join me on the writing journey of Nin Chronicles: My Kingdom! Updates will occur bi-weekly on Mondays, unless a better schedule presents itself.

My Kingdom is not my only new story and neither is Nin Chronicles my only series. If you fancy more action and adventure mingled with all the elements of family fun, join Thorin Oakenshield on a unique journey to reclaim Erebor, complete with an angry elven-king, a duplicate Legolas, and plenty of elemental bending in Benders: Dragonfire.

The first chapter goes live next week but you can read an exclusive sneak peek by reading on to the final chapter! A summary, perhaps, will serve to pique your interest into clicking on!

Benders: Dragonfire: _When he set foot in Mirkwood, something changed inside him. In a breath, he had bloodied Legolas and infuriated Thranduil. In a breath, he knew pride and hatred. In a breath, Thorin Oakenshield knew an elf would walk beside him, that he would face Smaug with the most unlikely of friends, and perhaps not walk from Erebor with the Arkenstone in his hands. In a breath, he knew dragonfire._

Once again, thank you for your support, encouragement, and interaction! I hope to see your familiar faces and words around the next tales I embark on.

And, in case you would like to know, we end this glorious take at 142 chapters, 240,000 words, and over 35,000 views! Yes, you did all that. All I did was write it.


	144. Benders: Dragonfire

Thorin cast an evil glare in the direction of Prince Legolas. He could only assume the elf was Prince Legolas, due to his striking resemblance to that filth, King Thranduil. If he could even be called a king . . .

Surrounded by elves, accosted on his way to Erebor, his temper found itself displaced. Stripped of his weapons, his dignity, he fumed, feeling something build up within him. He glanced again at the elves; tall, haughty creatures!

"My Lord, Legolas! This blade we found upon the dwarf with the evil glare. It is a curious blade."

Thorin ground his teeth. Orcrist! His sword. His sword!

"This is the blade of our people!" Legolas exclaimed, turning the weapon in his hands before he slid it back into its sheath. "I shall deliver this to ada when we return."

Thorin's eyes exploded as Legolas—that creature—slid the sheath into his own belt. His anger grew as he thought of Thranduil holding the weapon. He lunged forward at Legolas, his fingers clawing to wrap around his throat. He hurtled past two startled elves, ducking their attempts to restrain him. Legolas spun around with wide eyes, his mouth open to issue a command but the words died on his lips, transforming into a cry of pain as Thorin swung a hand at him.

A streak of white lightning exploded from the dwarf's palm, shocking Thorin as much as the elf, and caught Legolas square in the chest. The elf flew back into a tree, his chest smoking.

The elves let out a unified gasp of horror. "He is a bender!" One black-haired elf dropped to his knees beside Legolas. "Legolas! Oh, my lord Legolas!"

Thorin stood still, unsure if it had been a dream, half-dazed as two elves grabbed his arms. As he was dragged back, he let out a scream. "Kili! Nephew!"

The dwarves surged forward but the elves closed like a tidal wave and held them back.

"Kili!" Thorin yelled. His nephew turned toward him, his dark eyes confused, and froze as a stray spider rose behind him. He stumbled and fell as the spider came at him, managing to roll onto his back before meeting the gaze of the creature standing over him. His eyes opened in horror but blinked in surprise as the spider jerked and tumbled flat to his left. From its back, jerking free her knives, a woman leapt down. Her eyes met Kili's and he swallowed.

"That filth dwarf has shot the Prince, Tauriel," the black-haired elf at the prince's side said. "Vengeance is in order."

"I will assist you in your task," a cold voice said.

Thorin's eyes bulged as an elf dropped from the low branch of a tree. The newcomer's blonde hair hung in a braid and he carried a spear, held in both hands. His blue eyes were icy fire, his jaw set in a grim line. Dressed in black, with a shirt of mail covering his chest, he radiated hostility.

Kili stumbled to a halt beside Thorin as Tauriel released his collar and turned away. Kili met Thorin's eyes before they both looked at the new arrival.

"He resembles Legolas exactly," Kili murmured.

"What foul evil is this?" Fili wondered.

Tauriel gave a slight bow to the newcomer. "My Lord Brenen. I fear Thorin Oakenshield has slain Prince Legolas."

* * *

 **Earthdragon: Thank you for catching that little slip! Now I have only to hope I have not made the cousin/nephew confusion throughout the book!**


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